新奇事件簿 日本发现足量稀土金属（在线收听）

Japanese researchers have discovered enough reserves of rare-earth metals (REMs) to satisfy global demand for up to 700 years. Oceanographers surveyed the deep-sea mud on the Pacific Ocean floor near Japan's Ogasawara Islands, which are about 2,000 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. Scientists say the minerals find, "has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world". Researchers from Waseda University and the University of Tokyo estimate the area they mapped contains more than 16 million tons of rare-earth metals. They added that the area offers "great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in modern society".

日本研究人员发现了足量稀土金属 (REMs)储备可满足全球高达700年的需求量。海洋学家对位于日本小笠原群岛附近的太平洋海底的深海泥浆进行了调查，小笠原群岛距离东京东南约两千千米。科学家表示矿物发现，“以半无限为基础，具备为世界提供这些金属的潜力”。来自早稻田大学和东京大学的研究人员预计他们所绘制的这片区域蕴含一千六百多万吨稀土金属。他们还说到，这片区域“在现代社会中具备成为一些极其重要元素的矿床的潜力”。

A rare-earth metal is one of a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table. They have what many of us would consider to be relatively unknown names, like europium, promethium scandium and terbium. The uses, applications, and demand of rare-earth elements have greatly increased with our reliance on high-tech products. They are widely used in the production of electric motors for hybrid vehicles, wind turbines, hard disc drives, portable electronics, microphones, speakers and a whole array of other products. Around 90 per cent of the world's supply of REMs used to manufacture advanced electronics currently comes from China. The discovery near Japan could bring down prices.

稀土金属是元素中期表中17种化学元素组之一。稀土金属包括很多被我们认为是相对陌生的名字，比如铕、钷、钪和铽。稀土金属的使用、应用和需求随着人类对高科技产品的依赖而极大增加。它们被广泛应用于混合动力车的电动机、风力涡轮机、硬盘驱动器、便携式电子设备、麦克风、扬声器以及一系列其他产品的生产中。目前世界上约90%的制造先进电子设备所需的稀土金属供应都来自中国。日本附近稀土金属的发现或会降低稀土金属的价格。