电脑模拟能够预测未来地震

Computer Simulations Might Predict Future Earthquakes

电脑模拟能够预测未来地震

 

Geologists¹ say they knew a large earthquake was coming in South Asia, but they did not know when.

 

The Himalayan Mountains were formed some 150 million years ago after the landmass that is now India broke off from Antarctica, drifted north and collided with the rest of Asia.

 

Scientists say the South Asian land mass is still moving towards North Asia at the rate of about two centimeters a year, making the area prone² to earthquakes.

 

Harley Benz is a researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey earthquake information center.

 

Harley Benz: It's a broad zone of deformation³, and across this zone that extends 1,000 kilometers, you have a whole series of faults and folds.

 

Another earthquake-prone region is along the 1300 kilometer San Andreas Fault in California.

 

It is here that John Rundle, a physics and engineering professor at the University of California at Davis, is testing his earthquake computer simulation.

 

John Rundle: You take these simulations, you turn them on, you run them and you do as good a job as possible in simulating or representing the past history of activity on the fault systems.

 

Dr. Rundle uses information from tools such as global positioning satellites to create a virtual reality model of thousands of years of earthquake activity along the San Andreas Fault. He says that in the future, this computer model may be able to predict some earthquakes just as hurricane paths are now forecast.

 

John Rundle: Our goal is to be able to make forecasts on that kind of time scale and then to improve it to the point where we're actually able to see the preparation process in the months and year or two leading up to a large earthquake.

 

Dr. Rundle says that several decades from now, one third of the world's population could live in seismically⁴ active regions. He hopes that by then, the virtual reality software will help prevent the heavy loss of life caused by tragedies such as the South Asia earthquake.

 

Leta Hong Fincher, VOA news.

 

注释：

landmass [lAnd5mAs] n. 大陆

Antarctica [Ant5B:ktikE] n. 南极洲

deformation [7di:fC:5meiFEn] n. 变形

simulation [7simju5leiFEn] n. 模拟

seismically [5saizmikEli] adv. [地]地震地

1 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

2 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

3 deformation   

n.形状损坏；变形；畸形

参考例句：

• The deformation frequencies are not sufficiently distinctive.其变形频率不是十分明显的。
• The calculated deformation is almost equal to the real situation by measurement.经检测，计算变形量与实际情况基本一致。

4 seismically   

地震

参考例句：

• The crust and mantle are separated by a seismically determined boundary known as the Moho-discontinuity. 改译为：地壳与地幔的交接处系根据地波走失而确定的一个界面，通称为莫霍界面。 来自互联网
• China's code is now on par with similar codes in seismically active areas of the world. 中国现在施行的标准与世界其他地震活跃地区施行的标准基本一致。 来自互联网