Experts work on volcano warning
Scientists in Scotland have been awarded £400,000 to create a life-saving volcano warning system.
蘇格蘭的科學家們得到四十萬英磅的贊助, 將全數用來建立一套逃生用的火山警報系統.
The physicists from St Andrews University will trial the system in Montserrat in the West Indies.
來自St. Andrews大學的物理學家們將在位於西印度群島的蒙特塞拉特測試這套系統.
Two thirds of the island, a UK overseas territory, was made uninhabitable by an eruption in 1995.
這個英國的海外領地, 在1995年的火山爆發下, 整座島嶼有2/3都不再適合居住.
The team hopes to develop an unstaffed device capable of monitoring a volcano through the smoke, gases and clouds that usually surround its crater.
研發團隊盼望能建立一套無人裝置, 並藉由煙,毒氣以及經常圍繞在火山口的雲霧來監控火山的活動.
The funding has been granted by the Natural Environment Research Council.
研究的經費是由自然環境研究協會資助.
The monitoring instrument will be built by the Millimetre Wave and High-Field ESR Group in the university's School of Physics and Astronomy.
這套監控儀器將由St. Andrews大學物理及天文學系的毫米波和高磁場電子自旋共振研究小組所建置.
It will build on the All-weather Volcano Topography Imaging Sensor (AVTIS) developed by the group.
配有小組所研發的全天候火山地形影像感測系統.
The device uses millimetre waves to measure the size, shape and temperature of a growing volcanic lava dome in all conditions.
這套設備使用毫米波, 可在各種條件下測量發展中的火山熔岩丘其大小、形狀及溫度.
The team aims to provide the Montserrat Volcano Observatory with round-the-clock coverage of volcanic activity.
研發團隊要提供蒙特塞拉特火山觀測站全天候火山活動的所有詳細資料.
The Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat erupted in July 1995, after lying dormant for 300 years.
蒙特塞拉特的Soufriere Hills火山沉寂了300年之後, 在1995年的七月爆發.
Further eruptions killed 19 people and buried streets and buildings around the island.
陸續的火山爆發奪走19條生命, 並且掩埋了島上的街道與建築物.
Dr David Macfarlane, lead scientist on the project, said the need to monitor the volcano was greater than ever.
專案的靈魂人物 David Macfarlane博士表示, 對這座火山監控的要務比起任何時候都來得迫切.
"This type of volcano can change pretty quickly and the local observatory needs to know what is happening up on the mountain on a daily, if not hourly, basis," he said.
"這類型的火山變化速度非常快, 當地的觀測站必須得悉知山上有什麼動靜, 即使不能做到每小時, 最起碼也要每天" 他說. 
"It is the all-weather capability that sets this technology apart, allowing us to monitor the volcano from a safe distance all of the time. "
"這項技術適用於任何天氣狀態的性能,讓我們可以在安全的距離下持續監控這座火山."
"This new funding will allow us to build an unmanned version that lives on the volcano crater rim with its own power supply, beaming the radar images and data back to the observatory."
"新注入的資金將可讓我們在火山口周圍安置一個無人裝置, 靠本身的電力系統, 將雷達影像及資料傳回觀測站."
Dr Macfarlane said the device would capture all of the significant activity leading up to an eruption.
Macfarlane博士說這裝備將記錄所有可能導致爆發的火山活動.
Eventually, he hopes it will help predict where and when the volcano might explode.
最終, 他希望這套系統可以幫助預測火山可能爆發的時間與地點.
Dr Macfarlane added: "In Montserrat, people are continuing to be evacuated from their homes as the volcano continues to grow and becomes ever more dangerous so there is a real need for this technology."
Macfarlane博士補充說: "在蒙特塞拉特, 火山活動日益頻繁且變得更為危險之際, 人們陸陸續續撤離他們的家園. 這項科技是有實質的需要. "
The team will continue to work with volcanologists from the Universities of Reading and Lancaster.
研究團隊將繼續與來自瑞汀大學及蘭凱斯特大學的火山學家們合作.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6968496.stm
Published: 2007/08/29 17:14:02 GMT
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