Umoya Oyigugu Osemkhathini Wethu

NGO-MAY 4, 1961, uMalcolm Ross noVic Prather bandizela phezulu ekuphakameni okungamakhilomitha angu-34,6. Ngalesosikhathi, ukuqopha umlando kwakungabalulekile kangako kuRoss. Okwamhlaba umxhwele yilokho akubona njengoba evula ngokucophelela isembozo ebuka ngaphandle kwe-hot-air balloon okokuqala ngqá.

“Ukubukeka kwendawo njengoba sifinyelela amafidi angu-100 000 [30 500 m],” ekhumbula, “kwakukuhle ngendlela emangalisayo.” URoss wamangaliswa imibala yezingqimba ezihlukahlukene zomoya osemkhathini. Okokuqala, kukhona umbala “ogqamile oluhlaza ngokukhanyayo” we-troposphere, owugqinsi olungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-16 ukusuka emhlabeni. Khona-ke i-stratosphere eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka iyaqhubeka iba mnyama kuze kube ubumnyama bomkhathi ekugcineni. “Simangele buthule sazindla ngobuhle obuvelele bomoya osemkhathini,” kubhala uRoss kuyi-National Geographic.

Ngempela, kufanelekile ukuzindla ngomoya omuhle osemkhathini wethu.

Usekela Ukuphila

Eqinisweni, umoya osemkhathini wethu uwulwandle lomoya oluzungeza umhlaba kuya ekuphakameni okungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-80. Unesisindo samathani angaphezu kwezigidi zezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu futhi emakhanda ethu unomfutho wamakhilogremu angu-1,03 ngesentimitha-skwele esilinganisweni sogu lolwandle. Ngaphandle kwalowomfutho womoya, besingeke siphile, njengoba uvimbela uketshezi olusemizimbeni yethu ukuba lungahwamuki. Umoya ongaphezulu osemkhathini awunawo umfutho womoya owanele ukuze usekele ukuphila kwabantu. Ngenxa yalesosizathu uRoss noPrather kwadingeka bagqoke amasudi asemkhathini anomfutho. “Ngaphandle komfutho wokwenziwa,” kuchaza uRoss, “igazi lethu lalingabila, imithambo yethu yegazi nezitho kuqhume.”

Yiqiniso, siyaludinga futhi lolulwandle lomoya ukuze siqhubeke siphefumula. Nokho, abaningi bethu baluthatha kalula ngoba asinakulubona. Indoda yokholo yezikhathi zasendulo ngokwazisa yathi: “[UNkulunkulu ubapha] bonke ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke.”—IzEnzo 17:24, 25.

Ngaphandle komoya osemkhathini wethu, ibingeke ibe khona into yokubamba uthuli okwakheka kulo amathonsi amanzi. Ngakho imvula ibingeke ibe khona. Ukuba umoya osemkhathini wethu ubungekho, besiyohangulwa imisebe yelanga enamandla, futhi besiyobulawa amakhaza ebusuku. Ngokujabulisayo, umoya osemkhathini usebenza njengengubo, ebamba okunye ukushisa kwelanga ukuze ukubanda kungashubisi umnkantsha ebusuku.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, umoya osemkhathini uyisivikelo ezinkanyezini ezitshuzayo ebezingalimaza izakhamuzi zasemhlabeni. UHerbert Riehl uyachaza encwadini yakhe ethi Introduction to the Atmosphere: “Izindikimba eziqinile ezivela emkhathini ongaphandle zifika emoyeni osemkhathini zinesilinganiso sengqikithi yesisindo esingamathani ayizinkulungwane eziningana ngosuku.” Nokho, izinkanyezi eziningi ezitshuzayo zihlakazeka emoyeni osemkhathini zingakafiki ebusweni bomhlaba.

Umoya osemkhathini usenza sijabulele ukuphila. Wenza kube nesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza esithandekayo, amafu amhlophe ayinkafunkafu, imvula eqabulayo, nokuphuma nokushona kwelanga okuhle. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngaphandle komoya osemkhathini besingenakuwezwa amaphimbo alabo esibathandayo, futhi besingeke sikwazi ukulalela umculo esiwuthandayo. Ngani? Ngoba amaza omsindo adinga into yokuwathwala. Umoya uwuthwala kahle kakhulu umsindo, kuyilapho kungazwakali msindo emkhathini.

Ingxube Eyisimangaliso

Ezikhathini zasendulo abantu babebheka umoya osemkhathini njengento eyodwa. Khona-ke, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-18, ososayensi bathola ukuthi ngokuyinhloko wakhiwa amagesi amabili asebenzelanayo, i-nitrogen nomoya-mpilo. Cishe amaphesenti angu-78 omoya osemkhathini ayi-nitrogen kanti amaphesenti angu-21 awumoya-mpilo; iphesenti elilodwa elisele lakhiwa amagesi anjenge-argon, umhwamuko, isikhutha, i-neon, i-helium, i-krypton, i-hydrogen, i-xenon, ne-ozone.

Yiqiniso, umoya-mpilo uyigesi esekela ukuphila engena emizimbeni yethu lapho siphefumula. Izinga lomoya-mpilo elisemoyeni osemkhathini wethu likulungele ngokuphelele ukuphila emhlabeni. Uma belingehla ngokuphawulekayo, besiyokozela futhi ekugcineni siquleke. Uma isilinganiso salo besingakhuphuka kakhulu, kuthiwa ngisho namagatshana aswakeme notshani basehlathini bekuyothungeleka.

I-nitrogen iyisihlambululi esiphelele somoya-mpilo, kodwa inendima engaphezu kwalokho ekusekeleni ukuphila. Zonke izinto eziphilayo kumelwe zibe nayo ukuze ziphile. Izitshalo zithola i-nitrogen emoyeni ngosizo lombani kanye nohlobo olukhethekile lwama-bacterium. Thina-ke sithola i-nitrogen ekudleni esikudlayo.

Ukuthi umoya osemkhathini wethu ulondoloza isilinganiso esifanele somoya-mpilo ne-nitrogen kuyamangalisa. Ngosizo lomsebenzi oyigugu wezilokazane, i-nitrogen ibuyela emoyeni. Kuthiwani ngomoya-mpilo? Omningi usebenza emlilweni nasekuphefumuleni kwabantu nezilwane. Kodwa umoya osemkhathini ulondoloza isilinganiso sawo samaphesenti angu-21 omoya-mpilo. Kanjani? Nge-photosynthesis—inqubo yamakhemikhali eyenzeka emaqabungeni aluhlaza nasolwelweni—ekhiphela amathani angaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane omoya-mpilo emoyeni osemkhathini nsuku zonke.

I-photosynthesis ayinakwenzeka ngaphandle kwesikhutha—igesi etholakala ngesilinganiso esincane eyakha nje u-0,03 wephesenti lomoya osemkhathini. Ngosizo lokukhanya, izitshalo zincike esikhutheni ukuze zikhule zikhiqize izithelo, amantongomane, okusanhlamvu, nemifino. Futhi isikhutha sibuyisela ukushisa emhlabeni ukuze kugcine iplanethi yethu ifudumele. Kodwa uma izinga lesikhutha belingakhuphuka ngenxa yokushiswa ngokweqile kwezinkuni, amalahle, igesi, nowoyela, ekugcineni izinga lokushisa emhlabeni belingaphakama kangangokuthi ukuphila bekungaphela. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma isikhutha besingancipha kakhulu, i-photosynthesis ibiyonqamuka, futhi besiyobulawa indlala.

I-ozone ingenye igesi etholakala ngesilinganiso esincane ukuphila okusemhlabeni okuncike kuyo. I-ozone esongqimbeni olungaphezulu lomoya osemkhathini olubizwa ngokuthi i-stratosphere ivimba imisebe ye-ultraviolet evela elangeni. Ngaleyondlela thina emhlabeni siyavikelwa kulemisebe eyingozi ye-ultraviolet.

Ngempela, lapho sazi okwengeziwe ngomoya osemkhathini, kulapho siba nezizathu ezengeziwe zokumangala. Ukwakhiwa kwawo i-nitrogen, umoya-mpilo, namanye amagesi atholakala ngesilinganiso esincane kulingene kahle. Ubukhulu bomhlaba nabo bufaneleke kahle ukuze kulondolozwe lokhu kulinganisela. Ukuba umhlaba ubumncane kunalokhu oyikho futhi unesisindo esincane, amandla awo adonsela phansi abeyoba buthaka, futhi umoya omningi oyigugu osemkhathini wethu ubuyonyamalala uye emkhathini ongaphandle.

“Ngakolunye uhlangothi,” kusho incwadi yesayensi ethi Environment of Life, “ukuba umhlaba ubumkhudlwana kunalokhu oyikho, amandla engeziwe adonsela phansi abeyogcina amazinga aphakeme amagesi. . . . Ukulingana okuntekenteke phakathi kwamagesi omoya osemkhathini bekuyophazamiseka.”

Nokho, ngokudabukisayo, lokhu ‘kulingana okuntekenteke’ kuphazanyiswa indlela yomuntu yokuphila yanamuhla. Sibi kangakanani isimo, futhi kunaliphi ithemba lokuthi umoya oyigugu osemkhathini wethu uyovikelwa ekubhujisweni?

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]

Lapho Ukushona Kwelanga Kukuhle

Umoya osemkhathini udlulisa imisebe yelanga ngendlela enikeza isibhakabhaka umbala oluhlaza okhangayo. Njengoba ilanga lishona, imisebe yalo kudingeka idlule emoyeni omkhulu osemkhathini. Lokhu kuveza imibalabala egqamile ngokunokwenzeka abangasoze bayibona abantu abahlala emadolobheni.

Ngokuvamile ukushona kwelanga emadolobheni anezimboni kufiphele futhi akunayo imibala ngaphandle kwemibala ebomvu. Iphephabhuku i-New Scientist liphawula ukuthi uma indawo ingcoliswe kakhulu, “iLanga libukeka njengendilinga ebomvu ngokufiphele engase inyamalale ngisho nangaphambi kokuba ishone.”

“Uma umoya osemkhathini uhlanzeke ngokungavamile, ungangcolisiwe,” kuchaza iphephabhuku elingenhla, “imibala yokushona kwelanga igqama kakhulu. ILanga liba phuzi ngokugqamile kuthi isibhakabhaka esizungezile sibe nombala owolintshi nophuzi. Njengoba iLanga lishona, lemibala ishintsha kancane kancane kusuka kowolintshi kuya koluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Amafu ahambela phansi ayaqhubeka edlulisa ukukhanya kweLanga, ngisho nalapho selishonile.”

Cabanga nje ngokushona kwelanga okuhle okuhlukahlukene okuyojatshulelwa ezweni elingenakho ukungcola!—IsAmbulo 21:3-5.