英语听力文摘 English Digest 600、科学家如何预测火山喷发？

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　　Dear A Moment of Science,

 

　　I’ve always been fascinated by volcanoes. So I was wondering: How well can scientists predict when and where a volcano will erupt?

 

　　Intersting question.

 

　　There are a few well known warning signs, such as earthquakes in the vicinity of a known volcano. And, of course, smoke rising from a volcano.

 

　　But a study out of the UK could give scientists an even better idea of how to predict eruptions². The researchers were looking at volcanoes along the mid³ ocean ridge⁴ a long chain of volcanoes lined up along where two of the Earth’s tectonic plates pull apart.

　　Specifically, the researchers looked at the magma chambers⁵ beneath the volcanoes to see how they channel magma up to the surface.

 

　　Using satellite images, they built computer models and found that magma chambers can exist only 0.62 miles underground. That’s really shallow, considering that earlier models had shown that magma chambers along the rift⁶ lay much deeper.

 

　　The satellite images and computer models also revealed that the ground near a volcano often begins rising and swelling⁷ about four months before an eruption¹. Measuring group uplifting is key to predicting eruptions, although these precursors⁸ don’t always occur before an eruption.

 

　　Volcanoes along the mid ocean ridge erupt often, usually underwater, creating new crust. Studying the plumbing⁹ systems beneath these volcanoes helps scientists better understand how the Earth renews its surface.

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