Imifantu Yomhlaba Efihlekile
NGO-AUGUST 18, 1994, kwafa okungenani abantu abangu-171 e-Algeria ngenxa yokuzamazama komhlaba okunamandla. Kwalimala amakhulukhulu, futhi izinkulungwane zashiywa zingenamakhaya. Emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambili kwakugadle ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu eBolivia, eColombia, nase-Indonesia, lapho sekukonke kwalahleka khona amakhulu amaningana okuphila kwabantu.
Ingabe ubuqaphela ukuthi lezi zinhlekelele ezinkulu zenzeka? Cishe ubungaqaphele, ngaphandle uma wawuthinteke ngokomuntu siqu noma uhlala ezweni elakhelene nalamazwe. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lapho ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu kugadla endaweni yaseCalifornia, e-U.S.A., kubonakala sengathi izindaba zisakazeka njengomlilo wequbula, futhi imininingwane engokwesayensi ngokuphathelene nalokho kuzamazama itholakala cishe ngokuphazima kweso.
Isizathu siwukuthi asikho esinye isifunda esiye sahlolisiswa kahle ososayensi njengeningizimu California, lapho ama-seismometer angaphezu kuka-700 eqopha khona ngisho nokuzamazama komhlaba okunesilinganiso esincane esingu-1,5. Inani elikhulu lezazi zokuzamazama komhlaba kuleyo ndawo likwenza kucace ukuthi kungani kunokwaziswa okuningi okuphathelene nokuzamazama komhlaba kuleso sifunda.
Okusanda Kutholwa
Lokhu kucwaninga okujulile ngokungangabazeki kuye kwasiza ososayensi emazweni amaningi ukuba baqonde ukuzamazama komhlaba futhi bazame ngisho nokukubona kusengaphambili ukuze kuvinjelwe izinhlekelele. Ubuchwepheshe obunjalo bubalulekile, ngoba minyaka yonke ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu okungaba ngu-40 kuchitha izingxenye ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba. Kukhona okunye ukuzamazama komhlaba okuncane cishe okungenzi umonakalo kodwa kube kukukhulu ngokwanele ukuba kungezwakala. Lokhu kugadla izikhathi eziphakathi kuka-40 000 no-50 000 minyaka yonke!
Kubonakala sengathi okuningi kokuzamazama komhlaba kubangelwa izixwexwe ezinkulu zamadwala angaphansi komhlaba eziqhekekayo futhi zigudlukele kwezinye izindawo lapho zicindezelene. Ngokuvamile lokhu kuphazamiseka kwenzeka lapho kunezimfa khona ongqimbeni lomhlaba olungaphandle. Lezi zimfa zaziwa ngokuthi imifantu.
Ezikhathini eziningi, ososayensi bayakwazi ukubona futhi badwebe izindawo ezinalemifantu, ngaleyo ndlela bazisho ngokuqondile izindawo ezithambekele ekubeni nokuzamazama komhlaba. Kungani sithi “ezikhathini eziningi”? Kungenxa yokuthi ososayensi basanda kuthola ukuthi ukwaziswa okuqukethwe imidwebo yabo akuhlanganisi yonke imininingwane ngendlela ababecabanga ngayo ngaphambili. Ngokwesibonelo, ososayensi baphazanyiswe yilokho okusanda kutholwa okubonisa ukuthi ukuzamazama komhlaba eCalifornia kwenzeka emifantwini efihlekile—ezimweni eziningi ezindaweni ngaphambili ezazibhekwa izazi zokuma komhlaba njengezikhululekile engozini yokuzamazama komhlaba uma kuqhathaniswa.
Ngokwezazi zesayensi yomhlaba uRoss Stein we-U.S. Geological Survey noRobert Yeats wase-Oregon State University, “indawo enamagquma akahle noma enezintaba ingase yenze leyo ndawo ingabonakali iwusongo kakhulu, ikunike umuzwa wokuthula kunokuba ikuxwayise ngengozi.” Noma kunjalo, ukuhlola kwazo kuye kwenza kwatholakala imifantu eyakhekayo ebangela ukuzamazama komhlaba ngaphansi kwamadwala anqwabelene, eminingi yayo eye yasetshenziswa kabi ngenxa kawoyela ophakathi kuyo. Kungani lemifantu engaphansi komhlaba ingazange itholakale ngaphambili, futhi lungakanani usongo elulethayo ngempela?
Usongo Okungamelwe Lushaywe Indiva
Sekuyisikhathi eside izazi zokuma komhlaba ziqaphela ukuthi amadwala angacindezelwa futhi anqwabelane njengengubo enkulu efonyoziwe. Kodwa ngokuvamile kwakucatshangwa ukuthi lena kwakuyinqubo eyenzeka kancane kancane, engasheshi. Nokho, ukuhlolwa kwamuva kokunqwabelana kwedwala okwenzekayo kubonisa ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka ngesivinini esikhulu—ngamamitha afinyelela kwamahlanu ngemizuzwana embalwa nje! Lokhu kunyakaza okubangelwa ukunqwabelana kwenza idwala elingaphansi ligqisheke. Ukucindezela okudalekayo kuqhekeza idwala elingaphansi ekujuleni kwaleli elinqwabelene, futhi enye ingxenye yedwala iqala ukugudlukela phezu kwenye. Lokhu kunqwabelana okubonakala kungenangozi nemifantu yakhona egqibekile kuba ukuzamazama komhlaba okusafufusa ngaphambi kokuba izazi zokuzamazama komhlaba zithole ithuba lokukubona. Lokhu kwakheka kwemifantu engaphansi komhlaba kungabangela ukuzamazama komhlaba okunamandla njengoba nje kwenzeka ngemifantu eqapheleka kakhudlwana, ebonakalayo ebusweni bomhlaba.
Ukuzamazama komhlaba kwango-January 17, 1994, eNorthridge endaweni eseLos Angeles kuyisibonelo samuva salokho okungenziwa umfantu ofihlekile. Lokhu kuzamazama komhlaba kwabangelwa ukwakheka komfantu ojule kakhulu ebangeni elingamakhilomitha aphakathi kuka-8 no-19 ngaphansi komhlaba. Ngaphambi kokuzamazama komhlaba, ososayensi babengenalwazi ngokuba khona kwalomfantu. Lomfantu ofihlekile wabangela umonakalo omkhulu empahleni, kwalimala abantu abangaphezu kuka-9000, futhi kwafa abangu-61.
Ososayensi basola ukuthi imifantu efihlekile iyimbangela yokuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu okuningi, hhayi kuphela eCalifornia kodwa nase-Algeria, e-Argentina, e-Armenia, eCanada, eNdiya, e-Iran, eJapane, eNew Zealand, nasePakistan. Emashumini ambalwa eminyaka adlule, izinkulungwane ziye zafa kulamazwe ngenxa yokuzamazama komhlaba okungenzeka ukuthi kwabangelwa imifantu efihlekile.
Ososayensi sebebhekene nenselele yokuthola izindawo okwenzeka kuzo lokhu kunqwabelana kwamadwala futhi babikezele usongo lwako lokuzamazama komhlaba okungase kwenzeke. Okwamanje, abasaweyi amandla abhubhisayo egquma elikahle elibonakala lingenangozi.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 22]
Ingabe Ilos Angeles Iyancipha?
Uxhaxha olubanzi lwemifantu nokunqwabelana kwamadwala okungaphansi kweLos Angeles, eCalifornia, kwenza isimo salesi sifunda sibe esiguquguquka kakhulu. Kubonakala sengathi indawo yaseLos Angeles ithola ukucindezeleka okukhulu okubangelwa ukubambana kwamadwala aseSan Andreas Fault eseduze nalapho. (Bheka umagazini i-Phaphama! ka-July 22, 1994, amakhasi 15-18.) Izazi zokuma komhlaba zendawo zicabangela ukuthi ukunqwabelana kwamadwala okubangelwa yilokhu kucindezeleka kungenzeka ukuthi kunciphisa indawo yaseLos Angeles ecindezelekile ngamamitha-skwele ayinkulungwane ngonyaka.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Globe: Mountain High Maps™ copyright © 1993 Digital Wisdom, Inc.