Investigators Look for Answers to Southern Ocean Earthquakes

Some of the strongest earthquakes in the world come from the ocean floor south of Australia. The area is called the Southern Ocean.

Researchers placed 27 instruments known as seismometers on the ocean floor to find out why. Some of them were over 5 kilometers below the water surface.

The instruments have been recording¹ earthquakes for the last year and are now being picked up. It will take three weeks to get them all.

A professor from the Australian National University's School of Earth Sciences hopes the information will give more data on how and why earthquakes happen.

Hrvoje Tkalcic said more information about how and when earthquakes happen might help scientists predict how far seismic² waves will travel afterward³. The information could be useful to warn about strong highwater events called tsunamis⁵.

He said scientists will not be able to predict earthquakes or how large they will be, but the project will help them understand the structure of the earth in the volatile⁶ area.

The research tools spent the last year pointed⁷ toward the center of the Earth. Scientists think the information they get will help people in Australia and New Zealand prepare for tsunamis. That area of the world is known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire" because there is so much seismic activity.

California Institute of Technology, The University of Cambridge in England and other Australian universities worked on the project. They hope the information can be applied⁸ to other oceans.

Words in This Story

tsunami⁴ – n. a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land

volatile – adj. likely to become dangerous or out of control

seismic – adj. of, relating to, or caused by an earthquake

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

3 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

4 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

5 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

6 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。