汤加海底火山喷发威力多大（汤加火山喷发威力）

当地时间15日，位于南太平洋岛国汤加的洪阿哈阿帕伊火山剧烈喷发：海面大面积“炸开”，巨大波纹向外迅速扩散，电力和通讯一度中断。此次喷发还引发太平洋沿岸地区发布海啸警报，日本、智利和澳大利亚等低洼沿海地区已进行疏散。为何本次火山喷发会触发如此大规模的警报？它对我们的生活又有什么影响？

Underwater Volcano Erupts, Setting Off Tsunami Warnings Across Pacific

海底火山喷发，引发太平洋海啸警报

By Aina J. Khan

An underwater volcano erupted on Saturday near the remote Pacific nation of Tonga, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific and for the West Coast of the United States, and causing strong waves and currents in many coastal areas.

上周六，在偏远的太平洋岛国汤加附近，一座海底火山剧烈喷发。在太平洋地区与美国西海岸，海啸警报随之而来；在众多沿海地区，这次喷发也造成了剧烈的海浪和洋流。

A four-foot tsunami wave was reported to have hit Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, sending people rushing to higher ground, and witnesses said ash had fallen from the sky.

据报道，一场四英尺高（约1.2米）的海啸袭击了汤加首都努库阿洛法，迫使人们向地势较高的地方匆忙奔去。目击者称，火山灰从天而降。

Despite Tonga's geographical isolation, a booming sound after the initial eruption was heard as far away as New Zealand, 1,100 miles northeast of the archipelago's main island of Tongatapu.

就地理位置而言，汤加与世隔绝。但火山最初喷发后的隆隆声，却传到了1100英里（约1770公里）以外，位于汤加群岛主岛汤加塔布东北方向的新西兰。

Across the Pacific warnings were sounded. New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency advised people in coastal areas to expect "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore."

整个太平洋地区都发出了警报。新西兰国家紧急情况管理局建议沿海地区的人们为“汹涌反常的洋流与不可预测的海岸浪涌”做好准备。

The volcano, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, which is about 40 miles north of Tongatapu, had been relatively inactive for several years.

洪阿哈阿帕伊火山位于汤加塔布岛以北约40英里（约64公里），几年以来，一直处于相对休眠的状态。

The volcano had erupted in 2014, spawning a new island that eventually became home to blossoming vegetation and barn owls, according to the BBC.

据英国广播公司报道，该火山曾于2014年爆发，产生了一座新岛屿，后来，这里成为了繁茂植被与仓鸮的家园。

The V.E.I. of the eruption Saturday has not been estimated yet, but before the eruption, the volcano was estimated to be able to produce an eruption with a maximum V.E.I. of 2.

目前，周六火山爆发的VEI强度（火山爆发强度指数）尚待估算。但此前，曾有估算称，该火山爆发的最高强度为VEI二级。

Eruptions with a V.E.I. of 6 or higher send so much gas and particles so high into the atmosphere that they can have a cooling effect on the climate for several years, by reflecting more sunlight away from the Earth's surface. But eruptions of that magnitude occur very rarely.

VEI指数高于六级的火山喷发，会将大量气体与粒子送入大气高层。它们会将更多阳光反射回去，使其远离地球表面，进而对气候产生长达数年的冷却效果。但是这种规模的火山喷发很少发生。

【内容拓展】

V.E.I.：火山爆发强度指数（volcanic explosivity index）

即，根据喷出物的体积、火山云和定性观测来衡量火山爆发强度的量表，从0级到8级，强度逐级递增。

生词好句

1.erupt

英 [ɪˈrʌpt] 美 [ɪˈrʌpt]

vi. （火山）喷发；（情绪）爆发

拓展:

erupt in/into something 某种情绪突然爆发

He erupted into fury.

他勃然大怒。

2.set something off

触响（警报系统等）(to make an alarm start ringing)

3.trigger

英 [ˈtrɪɡə] 美 [ˈtrɪɡər]

（本文）v. 触发，引发；n.（枪的）扳机，触发器

拓展:

trigger (off) something 触发/引发某事

trigger (off) a wave of protests 引发了抗议浪潮

trigger a memory 触发了一段回忆

4.current

英 [ˈkʌrənt] 美 [ˈkɜːrənt]

（本文）n. 水流；气流；电流；adj. 现在的，当前的

拓展:

air current 气流

electrical current 电流

5.be reported to have done something

被报道做了某事（不定式的完成式强调动作已经发生）

6.boom

英 [buːm] 美 [buːm]

v. 发出低沉而巨大的轰鸣声（to make a very deep and loud hollow sound）；n. 低沉而巨大的轰鸣声

7.warnings are sounded

警报响起

拓展:

set off/trigger/sound warnings 拉响警报

sound

UK /saʊnd/ US /saʊnd/

v. 向公众发出警告（to publicly give a warning）

Quick, sound the alarm—there's a fire in the machine room!

快点拉警报，机房里着火了！

8.surge

英 [sɜːdʒ] 美 [sɜːrdʒ]

n. 液体的突然涌动（a sudden quick movement of a liquid）

拓展:

a tidal surge 涨潮

9.inactive

英 [ɪnˈæktɪv] 美 [ɪnˈæktɪv]

adj.（火山）休眠的，不活跃的，不活动的

拓展:

The volcano has been inactive for 50 years.

这座火山处于休眠状态50年了。

10.spawn

英 [spɔːn] 美 [spɑːn]

vt. （使）产生，（使）出现（to cause something to develop or be produced）

拓展:

AI has spawned new business opportunities.

AI创造了大量新商机。

11.be/become home to something

是/成为......的栖息地/产地（常用于介绍某个国家或某个地方拥有某些资源）

拓展:

The Amazon rainforest is home to around 40,000 plant species.

亚马逊雨林拥有约4万种植物。

12.so… (that)…

太......以至于......

拓展:

She was so tired (that) she couldn't think straight.

她太累了，脑子都不转了。

13.reflect

英 [rɪˈflekt] 美 [rɪˈflekt]

拓展:

v. （物理学）反射（声、光、热等）

14.magnitude

英 [ˈmæɡnɪtʃuːd] 美 [ˈmæɡnətuːd;ˈmæɡnətʃuːd]

n. 爆炸的强度，地震的震级；巨大，重大，重要性

拓展:

前缀magni-：表示与"大"相关

magnify UK /ˈmæɡnɪfaɪ/ US /ˈmæɡnəfaɪ/ v. 放大

magnificent UK /mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt/ US /mæɡˈnɪfəsnt/ adj. 宏伟的

An operation of this magnitude is going to be difficult.

这么大的手术操作起来十分困难。

,