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  3. Scientists have begun using satellite-based systems to predict volcanic erup

Scientists have begun using satellite-based systems to predict volcanic erup

游客2024-03-06  38
问题     Scientists have begun using satellite-based systems to predict volcanic eruptions. This allows blanket coverage of the entire world. Envisat is the most advanced craft of this type. It has sensors that, by recognizing the characteristic optical signature of various substances in the atmosphere, can detect the presence of specific gases, such as sulphur dioxide (二氧化硫). These may indicate an imminent volcanic eruption.
    Mike Abrams, a scientist at America’s space agency, NASA, says that the limiting factor on all such satellites is, surprisingly, not technological, but temporal. The orbits in which they are placed allow them to observe the entire earth, but they cannot pass over a particular spot more frequently than once every 15 days or so. Dr. Abrams argues that more satellites are needed to gather sufficient data on the earth’s volcanoes. Existing satellites, though, do at least serve as an early warning system. If one of them detects something amiss, local volcanologists can then intensify their local monitoring efforts. If necessary, they can even initiate an evacuation.
    In addition, it is important to predict lahars (火山泥流), flowing mixtures of rock, debris, ash and water, which are often set off when hot lava meets cold snow. Lahars can travel down a mountain as fast as 60 kilometres per hour. In 1985 a lahar set off by the eruption of the Nevada del Ruiz volcano in Colombia killed 25000 people. With acoustic flow monitors, such as those developed by the USGS in the last five years, such a tragic loss of life might have been averted. The flow monitors are seismometers (地震检波器), which measure vibration, and are sensitive to higher frequencies than those often used to record earthquakes and volcanic activity. This lets them hear lahars from a long way off, creating a valuable extra hour of time that can be used to evacuate. Such systems are now in place all round the world.
    Volcanic eruptions are dangerous not only to people on the ground, but also to those in the air. According to the USGS, more than 80 commercial aircraft have run into unexpected volcanic ash in the past 15 years, with the resulting damage costing hundreds of millions of dollars. If the optimists are right, the threat from volcanoes could one day become a known one. There is a problem, though. The work that needs to be done relies on the continual use of satellites and ground monitoring. Volcanologists are now issuing a new warning: it is particularly hard to get funding for this kind of work. This is something that everybody should be bothered about. [br] By saying "more satellites are needed to gather sufficient data on the earth’s volcanoes" (Lines 4-5, Para. 2), Dr. Abrams implies that________.
选项 A、more satellites have already been used to observe the entire earth
B、the frequency of satellites’ passing over a particular spot is too low
C、it is difficult to predict volcanic eruptions
D、for better predictions, we need more satellites to increase the frequency of observation
答案 D
解析 由题干中的(Lines 4-5，Para. 2)定位到第二段第三句。语义理解题。定位段第三句指出艾伯拉穆斯博士认为，还需要更多的卫星收集足够的地球火山的数据，其原因在该段第一、二句中已提到，即：卫星监测火山爆发的局限性因素不在于技术，而是受时间限制，因为卫星通过某个定点的频率无法高于每15天一次，由此可知需要增加卫星来提高观测频率，故答案为D。
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