Igesi Yemvelo—Esetshenziswa Ekhaya
IGESI yemvelo yakha amaphesenti angu-20 engqikithi yamandla adingekayo emhlabeni. Uyini umthombo wegesi yemvelo? Ihlanzeke kangakanani? Ingakanani esasele?
Ososayensi abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi esikhathini eside kakhulu esidlule igesi yemvelo yabangelwa izinsalela zezilwane nezezitshalo ezifile kuhlanganise nezilwanyana nezitshalo ezincane zasemanzini. Ngokwalo mbono, ngemva kwesikhathi eside, amagciwane (microbes), kuhlanganise nokucinana okubangelwa ungqimba lwenzika nokushisa okuvela ekujuleni komhlaba, kwaguqula imfucumfucu yezilwanyana nezitshalo kwaba izinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi—njengamalahle, igesi nowoyela ongahluziwe. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, igesi eningi yangena emadwaleni ngezimbotshana, ngezinye izikhathi yayinqwabelana phakathi noma emigudwini ethile engaphakathi kwedwala eliqinile. Ezinye izindawo ezinale gesi zinkulu, zinegesi engama-cubic meter ayizigidigidi. Zitholakala kanjani lezi zindawo ezigcine le gesi?
Indlela Igesi Yemvelo Etholakala Ngayo
Iziphuphutheki ezithungatha amagesi, i-global positioning system, isayensi yokucwaninga ngezakhi ezingaphansi komhlaba kanye nama-computer kwenze kwaba lula ukuthungatha le gesi. Isayensi yokucwaninga ngezakhi ezingaphansi komhlaba, isekelwe esimisweni sokuthi amaza omsindo ashayisa ezingqimbeni zamadwala angaphansi komhlaba abese ebuya, ngaleyo ndlela ososayensi bayakwazi ukuthola ukuthi kunani ngaphansi komhlaba. Imithombo yale misindo yenziwa abantu, ngokuvamile besebenzisa iziqhumane noma imishini edledlezelayo efakwa emalolini akhethekile. Amaza omsindo abangelwa yilezi zinto angena ajule emhlabathini abese ebuyela emishinini esiza ososayensi bakhe izithombe ze-computer eziveza zonke izinhlangothi ezibonisa indlela okwakheke ngayo amadwala. Lezi zithombe zibe sezibonisa indawo okungase kutholakale kuyo igesi.
Uma ithungathwa olwandle, kwenziwa amaza omsindo ngezibhamu ezikhethekile ezidubula zikhiphe umoya onomfutho, isitimu noma amanzi kuye ekujuleni kolwandle. La maza abangelwa yilo mfutho afinyelela ekujuleni kolwandle abese ebuyela emuva emshinini odonswa umkhumbi wokucwaninga. Nalapha futhi, abacwaningi babuye basebenzise la maza ukuze i-computer yakhe isithombe abazosihlaziya.
Ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi abalahlekelwa ngokwezimali lapho bemba le gesi, le ndawo okutholakale kuyo igesi kufanele ibe neningi ngokwanele. Ngakho-ke, izazi zokuma komhlaba kudingeka zithole ukuthi ungakanani umfutho nomthamo wegesi kule ndawo. Umfutho onembile ungatholakala kalula ngokusebenzisa into yokulinganisa. Kodwa kunzima ukuthola isilinganiso esinembile somthamo. Enye indlela yokuthola ukuthi ingakanani igesi ekhona, ukuhlola izinga lomfutho okokuqala, bese kukhishwa isilinganiso esithile segesi, kuphinde kuhlolwe izinga lomfutho okwesibili. Uma izinga lomfutho lehle kancane kusho ukuthi iningi igesi ekhona kuleyo ndawo; kanti uma lehle kakhulu kusho ukuthi incane.
Ukulungiselela Igesi Ukuba Isetshenziswe
Ngemva kokuba isikhishiwe, igesi yemvelo ihamba ngamapayipi iye ezindaweni ehluzwa kuzo ukuze kukhishwe amakhemikhali angase adle amapayipi, njenge-carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide ne-sulfur dioxide. Igesi yemvelo ibe isihluzwa ngaphansi kwamazinga okushisa aphansi kakhulu ukuze kukhishwe i-nitrogen engavuthi futhi kuthathwe amakhemikhali ayigugu njenge-helium, butane, ethane ne-propane. Ekugcineni kusala i-methane ehlanzekile, engenambala nengenaphunga futhi evutha kalula. Ngenxa yokuthi i-methane iwumkhiqizo wemvelo, ibuye ibizwe ngokuthi igesi yemvelo.
Ukuze le gesi yemvelo isetshenziswe emakhaya ngokuphephile, izimboni eziyidayisayo zifaka izakhi ezinesibabule esinukayo kancane ukuze kusheshe kuzwakale uma ivuza futhi ivalwe ngaphambi kokuba iqhume. Noma kunjalo, igesi yemvelo ihlanzeke kakhulu kunezinye izinto ezibaswayo ezimbiwa phansi, njengamalahle nowoyela.
Ukuze ithuthwe, enye igesi yemvelo yenziwa ibande kakhulu iguqulwe ibe uketshezi. I-butane ne-propane, ngokuvamile igcina isiyigesi ewuketshezi (liquefied petroleum gas [LPG]), ejwayeleke kakhulu kulabo abavame ukosa inyama ngegesi. I-LPG isetshenziswa nakakhulu emabhasini, kogandaganda, emalolini nakwezinye izinhlobo zezimoto esikhundleni sikaphethiloli no-desiel. Emkhakheni wamakhemikhali, i-butane ne-propane seyisetshenziswa ekwenzeni ipulasitiki, uketshezi, uhlobo oluthile lwendwangu neminye imikhiqizo eyenziwa ngezinto zemvelo.
Sekusele Eyingcosana
Njengezinye izinto ezibaswayo ezimbiwa phansi, igesi yemvelo isiyingcosana. Ngokwesilinganiso, cishe kusele igesi engamaphesenti angu-45 emhlabeni wonke. Uma lesi sibalo sinembile, ngokwezinga esetshenziswa ngalo njengamanje, izothatha iminyaka engu-60 ngaphambi kokuba iphele. Kodwa emazweni amaningi, ukusetshenziswa kwamandla kuyakhula; ngakho ukubikezela kwamanje kungenzeka akunembile neze.
Ukwanda okwethusayo kwezimboni emazweni athile kungenza abanye bacabange ukuthi imikhiqizo yomhlaba ayipheli. Kuyavunywa, kukhona namandla enuzi kuhlanganise namandla avuselelekayo, njengamandla elanga nawomoya. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kuyohlangabezana nesidingo esikhulayo? Ingabe lawo mandla ahlanzekile futhi ngeke ayilimaze imvelo? Kuyobonakala ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
[Umdwebo/Isithombe ekhasini 14]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
Ngemva kokuba isikhishiwe, igesi yemvelo ihamba ngamapayipi iye ezindaweni ehluzwa kuzo bese ithunyelwa emizini nasezimbonini
[Umdwebo]
Umthombo onegesi
Indawo yokuhluza
Imboni yegesi
[Isithombe ekhasini 13]
Imishini ekhethekile isetshenziselwa ukwenza amaza omsindo ahamba angene ekujuleni aphinde abuyele emishinini
[Isithombe ekhasini 13]
Izazi zesayensi yokwakheka komhlaba zihlaziya izithombe eziveza zonke izinhlangothi ezakhiwa ngokwaziswa okulethwa amaza omsindo
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 13]
Top: © Lloyd Sutton/Alamy; bottom: © Chris Pearsall/Alamy