Lapho Ilanga Liba Bomvu

PHAKATHI nehlobo lango-1783, kwaphela izinyanga kunenkungu engavamile eyayigubuzele ingxenye enkulu yeNyakatho yeNkabazwe. Ilanga laba bomvu njengegazi, izimila zabuna futhi kwafa inqwaba yabantu. Empeleni, izibalo zibonisa ukuthi le nkungu yabulala amashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu eFrance naseNgilandi nje kuphela. Iningi labanye lagula—babebaningi kangangokuba abalimi bahluleka ukuthola izisebenzi zokuvuna ezazingathintekile.

Kuye kwathiwa le nkungu “iyisenzakalo sesimo sezulu nesemvelo esiphawuleka kunazo zonke kule nkulungwane yeminyaka.” Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi kwakungabantu base-Iceland kuphela ababeyazi imbangela—ukuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo okungavamile, ochwepheshe abathi kwenzeka njalo ngemva kwamakhulu ambalwa eminyaka kule ndawo. Kuyaqondakala-ke ukuthi kungani i-Iceland yayithinteke kakhulu futhi yalahlekelwa umphakathi ongamaphesenti angaba ngu-20.

Ukuqhuma Kwezintaba-mlilo ZaseLaki

Ngo-June 8, 1783, izakhamuzi ezisendaweni yaseSíða eseningizimu ye-Iceland zabona izimpawu zokuqala ezethusayo zalokho okwakuzokwaziwa ngokuthi ukuqhuma kwezintaba-mlilo zaseLaki. Ngenxa yokuthi lesi sehlakalo sabhalwa abantu ababebukele emazweni ahlukahlukene, abacwaningi bakwazile ukuhlanganisa konke lokhu, bakhipha ibalazwe elilodwa eliveza umgudu wefu lentaba-mlilo usuku nosuku. Omunye wofakazi bokuzibonela, uJón Steingrímsson e-Iceland, wabhala ukuthi wabona “izintuli ezimnyama” zisabalala zisuka enyakatho. Wembozwa ubumnyama futhi kwagcwala umlotha phansi. Kwabe sekuqala ukuzamazama nokundindizela. Waphawula ukuthi ngemva kwesonto, “udaka lomlilo lwageleza luphuma emfuleni iSkaftá,” lwemboza konke okwakusendleleni yawo. USteingrímsson wathatha izinyanga ezingu-8 ebhala ngalokho okwakwenzekile.

Kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi isikhukhula sezwe esibangelwa ukuqhuma kwe-basalt, uxhaxha lwezintaba-mlilo ezibude bazo bungamakhilomitha angu-25 ezisoqweqweni lomhlaba zakhipha udaka olubilayo olungama-cubic khilomitha angu-15, udaka olungaphezu kweyanoma iyiphi intaba-mlilo emlandweni! Kwaqhasha amatshe avuthayo edubula ibanga elingamakhulukhulu amamitha emoyeni futhi udaka olubilayo lwageleza ibanga elingaba amakhilomitha angu-80 ukusuka kulolu xhaxha lwezintaba-mlilo, lwemboza indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-580 futhi lwagcwala ensungubezini yomfula iSkaftá.

Onyakeni owalandela, umlotha namakhemikhali anobuthi ayephezu kotshani base-Iceland, kwabulala izinkomo ezingaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-50 namahhashi nezimvu ezingaba amaphesenti angu-80. Indlala yathi chithi saka. Lezi zintaba-mlilo zaseLaki zakhiphela amathani ayizigidi ezingu-122 e-sulfur dioxide emoyeni, eyafika yahlangana nomhwamuko kwase kwakheka amathani angaba ngu-200 e-aerosol ene-asidi.a

Imiphumela Ezindaweni Ezikude

Ngalelo hlobo, umoya waphephula le nkungu eyingozi yafinyelela ezindaweni ezikude. EBrithani naseFrance abantu babona “inkungu engajwayelekile” eyayiyinto ababengakaze bayibone. Njengoba yayinuka kabi futhi inesibabule, yabangela izinkinga zokuphefumula, uhudo, ikhanda elibuhlungu, amehlo, umphimbo nezinye izinkinga. Ifu elikhulu le-sulfur dioxide ne-sulfuric acid labulala abancane nabadala.

Umbiko ovela eJalimane wabonisa ukuthi ngobusuku obubodwa nje leli fu elinobuthi labulala amahlamvu ezihlahla ezazigudla uMfula i-Ems. ENgilandi, izimila zasha namahlamvu abuna sengathi ahangukile. EFrance, eHungary, e-Italy, eNetherlands, eRomania, eScandinavia naseSlovakia kwabikwa into efanayo. Ngempela, le nkungu enamakhemikhali yabonakala ezindaweni eziqhele kakhulu njengasePortugal, eTunisia, eSyria, eRussia, entshonalanga yeChina naseNewfoundland.

Izibikezelo zabonisa ukuthi amazinga okushisa nawo athinteka njengoba umoya ongcolile wawuvimba imisebe yelanga. Ngo-1784 ezwekazini laseYurophu izinga lokubanda elivamile cishe lehla ngama-degree Celsius amabili kunalokho okwaba yikho engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu lesi-18. Ukushisa e-Iceland cishe kwehla ngama-degree amahlanu. Ubusika bango-1783/1784 eNyakatho Melika babubanda kangangokuthi izingcezu zeqhwa ‘zabonakala zintanta zigeleza emfuleni iMississipi futhi ziyophumela eGulf of Mexico.’

Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi ukuqothulwa kwabantu abangamaKauwerak, iqembu lama-Inuit enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Alaska, kungenzeka kwabangelwa yindlala eyayibangelwe ukuqhuma kweLaki. Ubufakazi obatholakala ngokusebenzisa indlela okuthiwa i-Tree-ring data bubonisa ukuthi ihlobo lango-1783 labanda kakhulu kunawo wonke eminyakeni engu-400. Empeleni, amaKauwerak anesisho esiphathelene nonyaka okwaphela ngawo inkathi yokushisa ngo-June, yalandelwa ukubanda okukhulu nendlala.

ILaki Nezwe Lanamuhla

Inhlekelele engokwemvelo yango-1783 seyalibaleka, hhayi nje ngenxa yokuthi yenzeka esikhathini eside esidlule, kodwa nangenxa yokuthi bonke abayibona babengazi ukuthi yabangelwa yini. Nokho e-Iceland, ukuqhuma kweLaki kukhunjulwa njengenhlekelele enkulu emlandweni waleli zwe.

Abanye bathi le nhlekelele yayiyisijeziso esivela kuNkulunkulu. Kodwa, iBhayibheli aliwusekeli lo mbono. (Jakobe 1:13) UNkulunkulu akenzi izinto ngendlela engahlukanisi phakathi kokuhle nokubi, ngoba “zonke izindlela zakhe ziwubulungisa.” (Duteronomi 32:4) Ubulungisa buyobonakaliswa ngendlela emangalisayo esikhathini esizayo lapho uNkulunkulu esengenela ezindabeni zabantu. IBhayibheli lithi injongo yakhe iyoba ukuqeda zonke izimbangela zokufa nokuhlupheka, ezihlanganisa nezinhlekelele zemvelo.—Isaya 25:8; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 14, 15]

Isithombe esithwetshulwe emoyeni sezintaba-mlilo zaseLaki

[Isithombe ekhasini 14, 15]

Umfanekiso wokuqhuma kodaka olubilayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Isithombe se-Iceland esithathwe ngesiphuphutheki

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 14]

Lava fountain: © Tom Pfeiffer; aerial photo: U.S. Geological Survey; satellite photo: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC