Ukuzamazama Komhlaba KwaseCalifornia—Okukhulu Kuyofika Nini?

UMHLABA wandindizela. Amapayipi e-gas adabuka. Izakhiwo zavuma phansi. Imililo yavutha ubuhanguhangu. Ingabe lokhu ukuzamazama komhlaba okusanda kwenzeka eLos Angeles? Cha. Ukuzamazama komhlaba okwagadla eSan Francisco ngo-April 18, 1906. Lokho kuzamazama komhlaba, okwalandelwa umlilo owavutha izinsuku ezintathu, kwabhubhisa indawo enezakhiwo ezingu-512 enkabeni yedolobha futhi kwabulala abangaba ngu-700.

Yini ebangela izinhlekelele ezinjena?

Izazi zesayensi zizama ukuchaza ngokusebenzisa umqondo wokuthi umhlaba ngaphansi unamadwalakazi anyakazayo. Zithi uqweqwe olungaphezulu lomhlaba luhlezi phezu kwezixwexwe ezingu-20 zamadwalakazi, ezihamba isinyelela, zigudlana futhi kwezinye izindawo esinye singene ngaphansi kwesinye. Isixwexwe sedwalakazi lasePacific sinyenya silibangise enyakatho, sigudlane nedwalakazi laseNyakatho Melika. Umfantu ophakathi kwalamadwalakazi amabili lapho egudlana khona ubizwa ngokuthi iSan Andreas Fault. Uyibanga elingaba amakhilomitha angu-1 050 ubude ukubheka ngasenyakatho, usuka ekuqaleni kweGulf of California uze uyoshona ePacific Ocean eduze naseSan Francisco.

Lezizixwexwe zihamba kancane kakhulu, cishe ngesilinganiso sokukhula kwezinzipho zakho—okungaba amasentimitha ambalwa ngonyaka. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi kwakheka ukucindezeleka ngesikhathi lamadwalakazi ebambana njengoba elinye lizama ukudlula kwelinye. Khona-ke angase angquzuke ahlukane ngamandla amakhulu.

ISan Andreas Fault iqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-53 enyakatho-mpumalanga yeLos Angeles futhi idlulela ePacific Ocean eduze neSan Francisco. Kuyamangalisa yini ukuthi abaseCalifornia bakhathazekile ngokuZamazama Okukhulu okuthiwa kuyeza?

ISan Francisco

Ngemva kokuzamazama kwango-1906, ingxenye esenyakatho yeSan Andreas Fault yayilokhu izithulele nje. Khona-ke, ngo-5:04 ntambama ngo-October 17, 1989, abantu baseMelika abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-50 babegqolozele ama-TV abo bebukele umdlalo we-baseball we-World Series owawuseSan Francisco. Ngokungazelele, amakhamera aqala ukuqhaqhazela. Emakhilomitheni ayikhulu eningizimu yeSan Francisco izinhlangothi ezimbili zeSan Andreas Fault zazingquzulene, zadala ukuzamazama okwabulala abantu abangu-63, kwabhidliza imigwaqo, kwafohloza izimoto, kwashiya izinkulungwane zingenamakhaya. Kodwa lokhu kundindizela kwakukuncane kunesilinganiso esingu-8 okubikezelwa ukuthi ukuZamazama Okukhulu kulindeleke ukuthi kuyoba naso.a

Emuva entwasahlobo yango-1985, i-U.S. Geological Survey yabikezela ukuthi ukuzamazama okuyisilinganiso esingu-6 kwakuzokwenzeka eminyakeni emihlanu kusukela ku-1988 eduze kwedolobhana laseParkfield, elicishe libe phakathi kweLos Angeles neSan Francisco. Ngokuhlola ukunyakaza komhlabathi ngaphambi kwalokhu kuzamazama okulindelwe, babethemba ukuthola indlela yokubikezela ukuzamazama komhlaba futhi bakwazi ukunikeza isixwayiso kusasele mhlawumbe amahora noma ngisho izinsuku ngaphambi kokuba ukuzamazama kugadle. Lolucwaningo lwadla ama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-15 (izigidi ezingu-52 zamaRandi), kodwa lokho kuzamazama akuzange kufike. Kunjengoba uWilliam Ellsworth we-U.S. Geological Survey ake washo, “ukufundwa kwemikhuba yokuzamazama komhlaba kuyisayensi engashayi emhloleni.”

Ukuzamazama KwaseLanders

Ngakho, ngo-June 28, 1992, akekho owayelindele ukuthi ukuzamazama komhlaba okunesilinganiso esingu-7,5 kuzogadla endaweni enganabantu abaningi eseduze neLanders, eMojave Desert eningizimu California. Lapho ukhuluma ngalokhu kuzamazama umagazini i-Time wathi: “Ngemizuzwana embalwa nje esabekayo, kwashintsha imigwaqo, kwashintsha izindawo zokupaka izimoto futhi kwajika izwe laba magebhugebhu, ngokuyisimangaliso kwafa umuntu oyedwa.” Uma kucatshangwa ngesilinganiso salokhu kuzamazama, umonakalo owadaleka wawumncane.

Ngakho, lokhu kwakungekhona ukuZamazama Okukhulu. Eqinisweni, kwakungekhona ngisho naseSan Andreas Fault kodwa kwakukweminye yemifantu emincane eseduze nakhona.

Nokho, kungenzeka ukuthi ukuzamazama kwaseLanders, kuhlanganise nokunye okuncanyana eduze neBig Bear, kwathinta izingxenye eziseduze zeSan Andreas. Izazi zesayensi ziye zathi lamadwalakazi abambene asengxenyeni engaseningizimu yeSan Andreas anethuba elingamaphesenti angu-40 lokuhluthuka ahlukane esikhathini esithile kuleminyaka engu-30 ezayo. Lokho kungase kubangele ukuZamazama Okukhulu osekunesikhathi eside kwesatshwa, okunesilinganiso esingu-8 esiphindwe kahlanu kunokwaseLanders.

ILos Angeles

Khona-ke, ngo-January 17 kulonyaka, iLos Angeles yaphaphama isigubhukane ngo-4:31 ekuseni. Kucatshangwa ukuthi emakhilomitheni angaba ngu-18 ngaphansi kweSigodi esinabantu abaningi saseSan Fernando eLos Angeles, kungenzeka ukuthi isixwexwe sedwalakazi sashelela amamitha angu-5,5 phakathi emfantwini ojulile. Lokhu kudlukuzeka okwathatha imizuzwana eyishumi okunesilinganiso esingu-6,6 kwabulala okungenani abangu-57. Ngeshwa, kwesinye isakhiwo esinamakamelo okuhlala esasiwa kwafa abantu abangu-16. Indoda eyasinda lapho yavaleleka amahora ayisishiyagalombili ngaphansi kwamathani angu-20 kakhonkolo kwesinye isakhiwo sokupaka izimoto esasiwile. Ukuwohloka komgwaqo owuthela wayeka kwavala indlela eyinhloko yalelidolobha elibangise enyakatho. Amasonto, izikole, izitolo, nesinye isibhedlela esikhulu kwavalwa. Njengokujwayelekile, imikhaya ethola iholo elincane yathinteka kakhulu ngenxa yokuhlala ezakhiweni ezindala ezazakhiwe ngaphambi kokumiswa kwemithetho yesimanje yokwakha izakhiwo ezimelana nokuzamazama.

Lokhu kuzamazama kwabonisa izinkinga ezingase zidalwe nayimifantu emincanyana engaphansi kwedolobha elikhulu. Uma kuziwa kubantu, noma ikuphi ukuzamazama komhlaba kuwukuZamazama Okukhulu kubo uma besendaweni okwenzeka kuyo!

Umonakalo wawuzoba mkhulu kakhulu ukube yayingekho imithetho yokwakha eqinile yendawo. Ukuzamazama komhlaba ngakunye kufundisa abantu izifundo ezingase zenze izinto zibe lula esikhathini esizayo. Eminye imigwaqo ehamba ngaphezu kweminye eyayikade iqinisiwe ekuzamazameni kwangaphambili yasinda kulokhu; eminye ayizange. Kodwa uvivinyo lwangempela luyofika mhla ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu—okukhulu ngempela—kugadla eduze kwedolobha elikhulu. Kungaba iLos Angeles futhi, kwazi bani?

Kusazokuza Ukuzamazama Okukhulu Kwesibili?

‘Awu, Cha! Okunye futhi! Okukodwa nje kwanele!’ Nokho, izazi zokuma komhlaba zibona okunye ukuzamazama okukhulu esikhathini esizayo esiseduze. Umagazini i-New Scientist ka-January 22, 1994, wathi: “Imifantu eyingozi engaphansi kweLos Angeles ingakudala ‘ukuZamazama Okukhulu’ okufana nsé ngomonakalo nalokho okulindeleke emfantwini waseSan Andreas, kuxwayisa ochwepheshe. . . . Isigodi saseLos Angeles ikakhulukazi sigcwele imifantu evundlile, ngenxa yokuthi umfantu waseSan Andreas—ezindaweni eziningi ovundle wabheka enyakatho naseningizimu kulo lonke lelozwe—uyajika eLos Angeles ubheke entshonalanga, udale imifantu eyengeziwe kuleyondawo. Ngandlela-thile, lomhlaba ohambayo wedwalakazi lasePacific kumelwe udlule kulelijika uqhubeke ulibangise ngasenyakatho.”

Izazi zokuma kwezwe zicabanga ukuthi njengoba idwalakazi lasePacific lalihamba, lenxanxathela yemifantu evundlile yadaleka esigodini saseLos Angeles, omunye wayo owabangela ukuzamazama okwagadla lapho ekuqaleni kwalonyaka. Maqondana nalokho kuzamazama umagazini i-New Scientist yanezela nanku omunye umbiko esontweni elilodwa kamuva: “Izazi zesayensi zisakholelwa ukuthi umfantu owawuhilelekile kwakuwumfantu ovundlile—lapho esinye isixwexwe sedwala sashibilika sakhwela phezu kwesinye. Phakathi nokuzamazama kwangesonto elidlule, iziNtaba zaseSanta Susana ezisenyakatho nendawo okwaqala kuyo lokhu kuzamazama zaphakama cishe ngamasentimitha angu-40 kwathi ngesikhathi esifanayo zagudlukela enyakatho ngamasentimitha angu-15.”

UKerry Sieh, isazi sokuma komhlaba saseCaltech, unomuzwa wokuthi imifantu emincanyana evundle esigodini saseLos Angeles isengaba ingozi ngokufanayo ngesilinganiso esingu-8 esisalindelwe ukuba senzeke eSan Andreas. USieh ube esebuza ecabanga ngeLos Angeles: “Kungenzeka yini ukuthi sehlelwe ukuzamazama okukhulu ngempela, okunesilinganiso esingu-8, okuyoqala ngaphansi nje kwenkaba yedolobha?” Umbuzo osabisayo lowo, uma ucabanga ngezigidi ezihlezi phezu kwalendawo!

Abantu baseCalifornia babonakala bekwazi ukubekezelela ukuzamazama komhlaba, njengoba nabanye bebekezelela iziphepho, izikhukhula, noma izinkanyamba.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Imifantu esigodini saseLos Angeles

ISan Andreas Fault

ILos Angeles

IPACIFIC OCEAN

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Umonakalo emgwaqweni omkhulu owashiywa ukuzamazama kwaseLos Angeles kwango-1994

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Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News

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Amalangabi alanguka epayipini le-gas elaqhunyiswa ukuzamazama kwango-1994

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Tina Gerson/Los Angeles Daily News

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Lengxenye ewohlokile yomgwaqo waseLos Angeles yasala ekuzamazameni okwathatha imizuzwana eyishumi okwakunesilinganiso esingu-6,6

[Umthombo]

Gene Blevins/Los Angeles Daily News