[ti:Robotic Boat to Help Measure Sea Effects of Tonga Volcano] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A scientific team is headed to Tonga [00:04.48]to measure the effects of January's undersea volcano explosion [00:11.12]on the surrounding ocean. [00:14.60]As part of the project, the team will use a robotic boat [00:20.48]to help create a detailed map of the sea floor. [00:26.56]The explosion, or eruption, of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano [00:35.36]was among the world's largest in the past 30 years. [00:40.80]The eruption on the South Pacific island nation [00:45.28]sent smoke and gas shooting 30 kilometers into the air. [00:50.92]It also created ocean waves, called tsunamis, [00:56.40]that formed across the Pacific Ocean. [00:59.88]Some of the waves were up to 15 meters high, [01:04.40]Reuters news agency reported. [01:08.32]The eruption and tsunamis led to at least three deaths in Tonga [01:15.08]and destroyed numerous homes, [01:17.88]as well as communications equipment. [01:21.44]Tonga's government said the effects of the explosion [01:26.24]were felt as far away as South America. [01:30.24]The team going to Tonga will use sound and video equipment [01:36.80]and other scientific instruments [01:39.68]to examine the undersea effects of the explosion. [01:44.72]The project is a joint effort between New Zealand's [01:49.28]National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) [01:55.44]and Japan's non-profit Nippon Foundation. [02:00.56]The scientists will be "surveying thousands of square kilometers [02:06.48]of the seafloor and collecting video images" of the eruption's effects, [02:12.68]said a recent press release by NIWA. [02:16.52]The leader of the project is Mike Williams, [02:20.64]the chief ocean scientist for NIWA. [02:24.16]He predicts the team will find widespread changes [02:28.72]to the ocean floor and sea life in areas around Tonga. [02:34.28]"Before the eruption, much of the volcano was above water. [02:40.40]But now none of it is and the neighboring islands of Hunga Tonga [02:46.64]and Hunga Ha'apai were reduced in size," Williams said. [02:53.36]He added that the team expects to find "similarly dramatic" changes [03:00.08]when mapping underwater areas. [03:03.24]Williams said the damage to undersea communication lines [03:08.84]suggests the effects of the eruption [03:12.00]stretched up to 50 kilometers from the volcano's center. [03:17.28]This means the explosion likely affected ocean life [03:22.48]in an area of at least 8,000 square kilometers. [03:27.68]The scientists will gather underwater sound data [03:32.88]from devices known as "echosounders." [03:37.16]The equipment is designed to map the shape [03:41.00]and structure of the underwater landscape, NIWA said. [03:46.52]In an online video published on Facebook, Williams said [03:52.08]the scientists will also deploy a video system [03:56.48]that will survey wide areas of the seabed. [04:00.84]This should help the team see how debris from the volcano [04:06.44]has affected sea life in the area. [04:09.80]The team will travel to Tongo aboard a NIWA research ship [04:16.04]and will spend a little over two weeks in the area. [04:20.12]The researchers will also use a robotic boat [04:25.28]to collect environmental data and carry out [04:29.32]detailed mapping operations of affected areas. [04:33.60]The boat, called Maxlimer, will be guided by controllers in Britain. [04:40.48]The controllers are with SEA-KIT International, [04:45.04]the British company that built it. [04:47.64]The Maxlimer is set to keep surveying the area for up to 30 days. [04:54.76]Ben Simpson is the head of SEA-KIT International. [04:59.64]He said in a statement the Tonga mapping operation [05:04.56]is a good project to demonstrate the benefits [05:08.44]of using robotic surveying equipment in the ocean. [05:13.72]Simpson noted that the Maxlimer needs no crew [05:18.68]and uses less than 2 percent of the fuel needed for most research ships. [05:26.04]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM