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Robotic Boat to Help Measure Sea Effects of Tonga Volcano

A scientific team is headed to Tonga to measure the effects of January's undersea volcano explosion on the surrounding ocean.

一个科学小组将前往汤加，测量1月份海底火山爆发对周围海洋的影响。

As part of the project, the team will use a robotic boat to help create a detailed¹ map of the sea floor.

作为项目的一部分，该小组将会使用一艘机器人船来帮助创建一份详细的海底地图。

The explosion, or eruption², of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano was among the world's largest in the past 30 years.

洪阿汤加-洪阿哈阿帕伊火山喷发是过去30年来世界上最大的火山喷发之一。

The eruption on the South Pacific island nation sent smoke and gas shooting 30 kilometers into the air.

发生在这个南太平洋岛国上的火山喷发将烟雾和气体喷射到30公里高的空中。

It also created ocean waves, called tsunamis³, that formed across the Pacific Ocean.

它还使整个太平洋发生了海浪，即海啸。

Some of the waves were up to 15 meters high, Reuters news agency reported.

据路透社报道，一些海浪高达15米。

The eruption and tsunamis led to at least three deaths in Tonga and destroyed numerous homes, as well as communications equipment.

火山喷发和海啸导致汤加至少三人死亡，摧毁了许多房屋和通讯设备。

Tonga's government said the effects of the explosion were felt as far away as South America.

汤加政府表示，火山喷发的影响远至南美洲。

The team going to Tonga will use sound and video equipment and other scientific instruments to examine the undersea effects of the explosion.

前往汤加的科学小组将会使用声像设备和其他科学仪器来调查火山喷发对海底的影响。

The project is a joint⁴ effort between New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric⁵ Research (NIWA) and Japan's non-profit Nippon Foundation.

该项目是由新西兰国家水资源和大气研究所和日本非营利性组织日本财团共同开展的。

The scientists will be "surveying thousands of square kilometers of the seafloor and collecting video images" of the eruption's effects, said a recent press release by NIWA.

新西兰国家水资源和大气研究所最近发布的一份新闻稿称，科学家们将“对数千平方公里的海底进行勘测，并收集有关火山喷发影响的视频图像”。

The leader of the project is Mike Williams, the chief ocean scientist for NIWA.

该项目的负责人是新西兰国家水资源和大气研究所的首席海洋科学家迈克·威廉姆斯。

He predicts the team will find widespread changes to the ocean floor and sea life in areas around Tonga.

他预测，该小组将会在汤加周围地区发现海底和海洋生物的广泛变化。

"Before the eruption, much of the volcano was above water.

威廉姆斯说：“在火山喷发之前，火山的大部分都露在水面之上。

But now none of it is and the neighboring islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai were reduced in size," Williams said.

但现在水面之上没有火山了，邻近的洪阿汤加岛和洪阿哈阿帕伊岛的面积都缩小了。”

He added that the team expects to find "similarly dramatic" changes when mapping underwater areas.

他还说，该小组预计在绘制水下区域地图时会发现“类似的巨变”。

Williams said the damage to undersea communication lines suggests the effects of the eruption stretched up to 50 kilometers from the volcano's center.

威廉姆斯说，对海底通信线路的破坏表明，火山喷发的影响延伸至距离火山中心50公里的地方。

This means the explosion likely affected⁶ ocean life in an area of at least 8,000 square kilometers.

这意味着火山喷发可能影响了至少8000平方公里范围内的海洋生物。

The scientists will gather underwater sound data from devices known as "echosounders."

科学家们将从被称为“回声深测仪”的设备上收集水下声音数据。

The equipment is designed to map the shape and structure of the underwater landscape, NIWA said.

新西兰国家水资源和大气研究所表示，该设备旨在绘制水下景观的形状和结构。

In an online video published on Facebook, Williams said the scientists will also deploy⁷ a video system that will survey wide areas of the seabed.

在脸书上发布的一段在线视频中，威廉姆斯表示，科学家们还将部署一套对海床的大片区域进行勘测的视频系统。

This should help the team see how debris⁸ from the volcano has affected sea life in the area.

这应该有助于该小组了解火山碎片是如何影响该地区的海洋生物的。

The team will travel to Tongo aboard a NIWA research ship and will spend a little over two weeks in the area.

该小组将乘坐新西兰国家水资源和大气研究所的一艘考察船前往汤加，并将在该地区停留两周多。

The researchers will also use a robotic boat to collect environmental data and carry out detailed mapping operations of affected areas.

研究人员还将使用机器人船收集环境数据，并对受影响地区进行详细的测绘行动。

The boat, called Maxlimer, will be guided by controllers in Britain.

这艘名为Maxlimer的船将由英国的控制员引导。

The controllers are with SEA-KIT International, the British company that built it.

控制人员来自制造它的英国公司SEA-KIT International。

The Maxlimer is set to keep surveying the area for up to 30 days.

Maxlimer将对该地区进行长达30天的勘测。

Ben Simpson is the head of SEA-KIT International.

本·辛普森是SEA-KIT International的负责人。

He said in a statement the Tonga mapping operation is a good project to demonstrate the benefits of using robotic surveying equipment in the ocean.

他在一份声明中表示，汤加的测绘行动是一个很好的项目，其展示了在海洋中使用机器人测量设备的好处。

Simpson noted⁹ that the Maxlimer needs no crew and uses less than 2 percent of the fuel needed for most research ships.

辛普森指出，Maxlimer不需要船员，燃料消耗量不到大多数考察船所需燃料的2%。