Volcanoes, the ultimate natural force of destruction.
火山 毁灭的终极自然力量
They’re unforgiving,
它们是无情的
uncompromising
不屈的
and unstoppable.
势不可挡的
About 1,500 volcanoes around the world
世界上大约有1500座火山
are considered to be active,
被认为是活火山
with more than 10% of them in the United States.
10%以上在美国
Is there any way we could stop them
在毁灭开始之前
before the destruction begins?
有什么办法可以阻止它们吗？
Could we literally fight fire with fire?
我们是否可以以毒攻毒呢？
What if we nuked an active volcano?
如果我们核爆一座活火山会怎么样？
WOULD IT SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
它能解决问题吗？
OR MAKE IT WAY WORSE?
或者弄得更糟？
This is what if and here’s what would happen if we nuked an active volcano
这是我们核爆一座活火山可能出现的情况
Volcanoes are as cool as they are terrifying.
火山冷若冰霜
They are an incredible force of nature,
它们是种不可思议的自然力量
capable of destroying our lives
在其自我毁灭的道路上
on their path of destruction.
摧毁我们的生活
But could we give them a taste of their own medicine?
但我们能以其人之道还治其人之身吗？
How could we nuke such a fiery inferno?
我们怎样摧毁这个炼狱呢？
Well, we’d need to bring out the big guns.
我们需要拿出大家伙
The nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan during WWII
曾在二战期间投放到日本广岛
was the equivalent of over 130 million kg (300 million lbs) of TNT.
TNT当量超过1.3亿公斤（3亿磅）的核弹
That had plenty of impact.
它曾产生了很大的影响
Could we use something like it to blow a volcano to smithereens?
我们可以用类似东西把火山炸成碎片吗？
First, we’d have to figure out the target.
首先 我们必须找到目标
While it’s difficult to predict
虽然很难预测
when a volcano will erupt, there are some warning signs.
但火山爆发前会有一些警告信号
Watch for things like tiny earthquakes,
可以观察到的像是小地震
releases of steam and other gases from the volcano’s mouth
从火山口释放出蒸汽和其他气体
and bulging from the sides.
还会四处膨胀
Sounds like my last date.
听起来像是我的最后一次约会
That being said,
话虽如此
whether the volcano will erupt is still a massive educated guess.
但火山是否爆发仍然只是个有根据的猜测
So, let’s say that our scientists
所以 假设我们的科学家
locked on to an active volcano that’s ready to blow.
锁定了一座将要爆发的活火山
It would be a miracle if they could coordinate
如果他们能和军方配合
with the military fast enough to try and stop it.
迅速阻止这一切 那将是一个奇迹
Ideally, we’d be able to predict it a few days before the volcano was about to explode.
理论上 我们能在爆发前几天预测到
This would provide more than enough time
这将提供足够的时间
for people to pack up their belongings and evacuate
让人们收拾行李撤离
without causing the kinds of highway traffic jams
而不会引起我们在飓风 海啸
we see during hurricanes, tsunamis, and other disasters.
和其他灾难中看到的高速公路交通堵塞
With everyone out of harm’s way,
既然大家都安全了
geologists, volcanologists and weapons experts
地质学家 火山学家 还有武器专家
would determine any weak spots on a volcano’s sides that could be hit effectively.
将决定火山边任何能有效击中的薄弱点
Next, a highly-trained crew of pilots
接下来 一组训练有素的飞行员
would fly over the volcano,
会飞过火山
drop their payload and get the heck out of Dodge.
投下他们的弹头 然后离开这鬼地方
If things worked perfectly,
如果一切顺利的话
as in, if they used the exact right amount of explosives,
也就是说 他们用的是 适量的炸药
and hit the perfect spot in exactly the right way,
而且恰到好处地击中了完美的位置
the top of the volcano would crumble into itself,
那么火山顶部会自己崩溃
keeping the magma mostly underground.
使岩浆大部分在地下
There might still be some seepage around the base of the volcano,
可能在火山脚下还有一些渗漏
but it wouldn’t be anything like how the eruption would’ve played out naturally.
但不会像我们现在火山自然爆发这样
But, if we’re being honest,
但说实话
it would be like trying to put out fire with gasoline.
这像是在尝试用汽油灭火
Geologists warn that
地质学家警告说
trying to bomb a volcano
试图轰炸一座火山
might actually make things worse.
可能会让事情变得更糟
A lot worse.
特别糟糕
The explosion of the bomb
在火山里炸弹爆炸
mixed with the build-up of pressure inside a volcano
混合着压力的增加
could amplify the eruption.
可能放大火山爆发

The force would release even more ash and lava,
这股力量会释放出更多的火山灰和熔岩
spreading it even further than it would’ve gone with the volcano’s own power.
甚至比火山本身的力量还要大
And that’s if we managed to hit the target.
这还是假设我们成功击中了目标
If the nuke missed its target,
如果核弹没有击中目标
there’s still a nuclear bomb being dropped in an area where people live,
还有一枚核弹被投到一个居住点
or at least near enough that they would feel the effects of the radiation.
或者足够接近 他们就会受到辐射影响
If you had to pick one,
如果你必须选一个
which would you choose?
你会选哪个？
Death by lava or nuclear destruction?
死于熔岩还是核毁灭？
We can’t bomb our way out of this problem,
我们不能用炸弹来解决这个问题
the same way we can’t stop magma from building up under volcanoes.
就像我们无法阻止火山脚下岩浆堆积一样
Here at WHAT IF,
这里是《自然无常》
we’ve tried throwing trash
我们试过扔垃圾
and pouring liquid nitrogen into volcanoes.
试过将液氮注入火山
Long story short, it doesn’t work.
长话短说 都没用
Don’t mess with volcanoes!
不要招惹火山
As cool as it sounds on paper,
虽然这听起来很酷
nuking a volcano just won’t work.
但用核武器对付火山是行不通的
While man-made firepower can be impressive,
人造火力能让人印象深刻
nature isn’t quaking in its boots at what we can do.
但我们所能做的不会让大自然惊慌失措
But since our trigger fingers are itchy,
而因为我们扣扳机的手痒
what if we tried combating another natural disaster with a nuke?
我们会打起又一场核灾难
What if we nuked a hurricane?
如果我们用核武器攻击飓风呢？
Well,that’s a story.
那是另一回事了
For another,What If
更多请关注《自然无常》