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■不少科學家預期，繼冰島埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山(圖)後，另一個更強的火山將於短期內爆發。資料圖片
冰島火山為全球帶來的亂局可能只是一個開端。
不少科學家擔心，埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山的顫動會引發鄰近更危險的卡特拉火山爆發，這是全球航空業和旅客最不願看到的情況。
埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山爆發已令歐洲航空業癱瘓5日，航班其後更是經常延誤；若卡特拉火山爆發，其強度將是現在的10倍，噴發高度更高，灰塵更大。
卡特拉火山就在埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山旁邊，同處冰島南部，相隔僅約12英里，相信是由同一個岩漿網絡連接起來。卡特拉火山埋在500米深的冰層，在冰島其中最大的米達冰川之下，融冰量比埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山多逾一倍，威力或會令歐洲航空業陷入更長停頓期。
冰島大學地球科學中心的地理物理學教授埃納爾松表示，一個火山爆發有時會引發另一個火山爆發，過去卡特拉與埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山曾一前一後地活躍起來。事實上，數據顯示，過去3次埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山爆發時，隨之而來的就是卡特拉的爆發。而卡特拉每約80年就「甦醒」一次，它在1918年曾經爆發，如今數算起來，2010年再爆發已算是遲來。
沿岸的維克村的48歲村長保爾松表示，村民現正不斷進行疏散演習，以備火山爆發時可盡快逃命。維克村的人口只有300人，埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山爆發時，該村被3毫米的火山灰覆蓋，但他們真正擔心的是卡特拉火山，一旦卡特拉爆發，冰塊融化，村民只有2至3小時逃到安全地方。
■綜合外電消息
■資深翻譯員 羅國偉
Threat of New, Larger Icelandic Eruption Looms
For all the worldwide chaos that Iceland's volcano has already created, it may just be the opening act.
Scientists fear tremors at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano could trigger an even more dangerous eruption at the nearby Katla volcano-creating a worst-case scenario for the airline industry and travelers around the globe.
A Katla eruption would be 10 times stronger and shoot higher and larger plumes of ash into the air than its smaller neighbor, which has already brought European air travel to a standstill for 5 days and promises severe travel delays for days more.
The two volcanos are side by side in southern Iceland, about 12 miles apart and thought to be connected by a network of magma channels. Katla, however, is buried under ice 500 meters thick-the massive Myrdalsjokull glacier, one of Iceland's largest. That means it has more than twice the amount of ice than the current eruption has burned through-threatening a new and possibly longer aviation standstill across Europe.
Pall Einarsson, professor of geophysics at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, said one volcanic eruption sometimes causes a nearby volcano to explode, and Katla and Eyjafjallajokull have been active in tandem in the past. In fact, the last 3 times that Eyjafjallajokull erupted, Katla did as well. Katla also typically awakens every 80 years or so, and having last exploded in 1918 is now slightly overdue.
Svenn Palsson, the 48-year-old mayor of the coastal village of Vik, said residents are going over evacuation plans now just in case. With a population of 300, Vik has been covered in 3 millimeters(0.12 inches)of ash from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption, but the real concern is Katla. Residents would have 2 to 3 hours to reach the safety of a shelter if the volcano erupted and caused the ice to melt quickly. ■AP
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