Ingxenye 1: Ukuqubuka Kwesiphepho: Lapho Ulwandle Lufika Ogwini

Ngu-Angel Braestrup, uSihlalo, Ibhodi Labeluleki, I-Ocean Foundation

Sonke sizibonile izithombe namavidiyo. Abanye bethu baze bazibonela ngawabo. Isivunguvungu esikhulu siphusha amanzi ngaphambi kwawo njengoba egudla ugu, umoya onamandla okwenza amanzi azinqwabelane aze ayoshaya usebe bese egingqika phakathi, kuya ngokuthi isiphepho kade sihamba isikhathi esingakanani. imimoya enamandla ibidudula amanzi, kanye ne-geography (ne-geometry) yokuthi ishaya kuphi futhi kanjani ogwini. 

Ukuhlasela kwesiphepho akuyona ingxenye yokubala amandla eziphepho, njengesishingishane esithi “Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale” yesiphepho. Iningi lethu lazi ukuthi u-Saffir Simpson uchaza iSigaba 1-5 seziphepho ezitholwayo kuye ngesivinini somoya esiqhubekayo (hhayi usayizi wenyama wesiphepho, isivinini sokunyakaza kwesiphepho, ukucindezela okuguquguqukayo, isivinini somoya, noma inani lemvula njll.).

I-National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ithuthukise imodeli eyaziwa ngokuthi i-SLOSH, noma i-The Sea, Lake and Overland Surges kusukela ku-Hurricanes ukuze iphrojekthi yokuqhuma, noma, kubalulekile, ukuze abacwaningi bakwazi ukuqhathanisa imiphumela ehlobene yeziphepho ezihlukahlukene. Ezinye izivunguvungu ezibuthakathaka zingadala ukuqubuka kwesiphepho okumangalisayo lapho ukubunjwa komhlaba namazinga amanzi kuhlangana ukudala izimo ezinhle. Isiphepho u-Irene sasiwumkhakha 1 ngenkathi siwela eNorth Carolina[1] ngo-2011, kodwa ukuhlasela kwakhe kwesiphepho kwakungamafidi angu-8-11 futhi sadala umonakalo omkhulu. Ngokufanayo, iSiphepho u-Ike wayeyisibonelo esihle sesiphepho “esasiyisigaba 2 kuphela (imimoya engu-110 mph eqinile) lapho sifika emhlabeni, kodwa saba nokuqubuka kwesiphepho okwakungaba okujwayelekile kakhulu esigabeni esinamandla sesi-3. Futhi, Yebo, muva nje ngoNovemba ePhilippines, kwaba ukuqhuma kwesiphepho seSiphepho u-Haiyan esaqothula wonke amadolobha futhi sashiya ngemuva kwaso, ingqalasizinda eyonakele, izinhlelo zokulethwa kokudla namanzi, kanye nenqwaba yemfucumfucu eye yashaqisa umhlaba wonke. ifilimu nezithombe.

Ogwini olusempumalanga yeNgilandi ekuqaleni kuka-December 2013, izikhukhula ezinkulu zalimaza izindlu ezingaphezu kuka-1400, zaphazamisa isimiso sezitimela, futhi zanikeza izixwayiso ezingathi sína ngamanzi angcolile, ukuhlasela kwamagundane, kanye nesidingo sokuqaphela noma imaphi amanzi amile ezingadini noma kwenye indawo. Isiphepho sazo esikhulu kunazo zonke eminyakeni engu-60 (kuze kube namuhla!) salimaza kakhulu izilwane zasendle ezilondolozwayo ze-Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)—ukugcwala kwamanzi anosawoti emachwebeni anamanzi angenasawoti okuthinta izindawo zasebusika zezinyoni ezifudukayo futhi kungase kuthinte izinyoni ezifudukayo. inkathi yasentwasahlobo yokuzalela kwezinyoni (njengama- bittern).[2] Esinye isiqiwu sasivikelwe kakhulu ngenxa yephrojekthi esanda kuqedwa yokulawula izikhukhula, kodwa sisabhekene nomonakalo omkhulu ezindundumeni ezihlukanisa izindawo zaso zamanzi ahlanzekile nolwandle.

Amakhulu abantu ogwini olusempumalanga yeNgilandi afa ngo-1953 njengoba amanzi etheleka emiphakathini engenakuzivikela. Abaningi batusa impendulo yaleso senzakalo ngokusindisa amakhulukhulu, uma kungezona izinkulungwane, izimpilo ngo-2013. Imiphakathi yakha izinhlelo zokuzivikela, kuhlanganise nezinhlelo zokuxhumana eziphuthumayo, ezisize ukuqinisekisa ukuthi akhona amalungiselelo okwazisa abantu, ukukhipha abantu, kanye nokuhlenga lapho kudingeka khona. .

Ngeshwa, angeke kushiwo okufanayo ngezindawo zokuzalanisa ama-grey seal lapho inkathi yokuzalanisa isanda kuphela. IGreat Britain iyikhaya lengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yezilwane ezimpunga emhlabeni. Inqwaba ye baby grey seals balethwe esikhungweni sokutakula esiphethwe yiRoyal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) ngoba ukuhlasela kwesiphepho kwabahlukanisa nonina. Le midlwane mincane kakhulu ukuthi ingakwazi ukubhukuda ngendlela efanele futhi ngenxa yalokho yayisengozini enkulu. Bangase badinge ukunakekelwa isikhathi esingangezinyanga ezinhlanu kuze kube yilapho sebekulungele ukuzondla ngokwabo. Kungumzamo omkhulu wokuhlenga i-RSPCA okwake kwadingeka yenze. (Nikela ku-Marine Mammal Fund yethu ukuze usize ukuvikela lezi zilwane.)

Omunye umthombo wesenzakalo esiphawulekayo sikazamcolo ovela olwandle, yiqiniso, ukuzamazama komhlaba. Ubani ongakhohlwa ukucekelwa phansi kwetsunami e-Indonesia, Thailand, kanye nendawo yonke ngemuva kokuzamazama komhlaba ngeviki likaKhisimusi ngo-2004? Kuhlala kungokunye kokuzamazama komhlaba okunamandla kakhulu okwake kwaqoshwa, ngokuqinisekile phakathi kokude kakhulu esikhathini eside, futhi akuzange nje kugudluze iplanethi yonke, kodwa futhi kwabangela nokuzamazama komhlaba okuncane kude nengxenye yomhlaba. Izakhamuzi zasogwini lwase-Indonesia cishe azizange zibe nethuba lokubalekela udonga lwamanzi angamamitha angu-6 (amamitha amabili) oluphuthume ogwini phakathi nemizuzu nje yokuzamazama komhlaba, izakhamuzi zasogwini olusempumalanga ye-Afrika zaqhuba kangcono, nogu lwase-Antarctica lungcono nakakhulu. I-Coastal Thailand nezindawo ezisogwini eNdiya azizange zishaywe isikhathi esingaphezu kwehora, kanti kwezinye izindawo, isikhathi eside. Futhi, udonga lwamanzi lwageleza phakathi nezwe lwaze lwafika lapho lwalungase luhlehle khona, cishe ngokushesha, luthatha ingxenye enkulu yalokho okwakubhujisiwe lapho lungena, noma, lwaba buthaka, lapho luphuma futhi.

Ngo-March 2011, okunye ukuzamazama komhlaba okunamandla okuvela empumalanga yeJapane kwadala i-tsunami eyafinyelela ukuphakama okungamamitha angu-133 njengoba ifika ogwini, futhi yagingqika phakathi nezwe cishe amakhilomitha angu-6 kwezinye izindawo, yacekela phansi yonke into esendleleni yayo. Ukuzamazama komhlaba kwakunamandla kangangokuthi isiqhingi sase-Honshu, esikhulu kunazo zonke eziqhingini zaseJapane, sanyakaziswa cishe ngamamitha angu-8 ukuya empumalanga. Ukundindizela kwaphinde kwezwakala endaweni eqhele ngezinkulungwane zamakhilomitha, futhi ama-tsunami okwaba umphumela walimaza imiphakathi yasogwini eCalifornia, futhi ngisho naseChile, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-17,000 XNUMX, amagagasi ayengaphezu kwamamitha ayisithupha ukuphakama.

EJapane, i-tsunami yasusa imikhumbi emikhulu yamathangi neminye imikhumbi ezindaweni zayo ezikude phakathi nezwe, yaze yaphusha izakhiwo ezinkulu zokuvikela ugu lolwandle ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-tetrapod ayegingqa namagagasi emiphakathini—uhlobo lokuvikela olwaba imbangela yomonakalo. Ebunjiniyela basogwini, ama-tetrapod ayemelela inqubekelaphambili enemilenze emine ekwakhiweni kwe-breakwater ngoba amagagasi ngokuvamile aphuka ngakuwo, ehlisa umonakalo wokunqamuka kwamanzi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ngeshwa emiphakathini yasogwini, ama-tetrapod breakwaters awazange afane namandla olwandle. Lapho amanzi esebohlile, kwaqala ukuvela ubukhulu benhlekelele. Ngesikhathi kuqedwa ukubala okusemthethweni, sasazi ukuthi amashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu ayesefile, alimele, noma alahlekile, ukuthi izakhiwo ezicishe zibe ngu-300,000 XNUMX kanye nezinsiza zikagesi, amanzi, nezokukhucululwa kwendle kwakucekeleke phansi; izinhlelo zokuhamba zase ziwile; futhi, vele, enye yezingozi ezinde kakhulu zenuzi yaqala eFukushima, njengoba amasistimu nezinhlelo zokusekela zehlulekile ukumelana nokuhlasela okuvela olwandle.

Umphumela walokhu kuzamazama okukhulu kolwandle kuyingxenye yenhlekelele yabantu, ingxenye yenkinga yezempilo yomphakathi, ingxenye yokucekelwa phansi kwemithombo yemvelo, kanye nokuwa kwengxenye yezinhlelo. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba kuqale ukulungisa, kunenye inselele esongelayo. Sonke isithombe sixoxa ngengxenye yendaba yezinkulungwane zamathani emfucumfucu—kusuka ezimotweni ezigcwele amanzi kuya komatilasi, iziqandisi, nezinye izinto zikagesi, izitini, ukufakwa kwensimbi, izintambo, itiyela, ukhonkolo, izingodo, nezinye izinto zokwakha. Wonke lawo mabhokisi acocekile esiwabiza ngezindlu, izitolo, amahhovisi, nezikole, aphenduka amabibi abiyekile, amancane, angenamsebenzi ikakhulukazi acwiliswe ngamanzi olwandle kanye nengxube yezinto ezingaphakathi kwezakhiwo, izimoto, nezindawo zokuhlanza amanzi. Ngamanye amazwi, imfucumfucu enkulu enephunga okufanele ihlanzwe futhi ilahlwe ngaphambi kokuthi kuqalwe ukwakha kabusha.

Emphakathini nakwezinye izikhulu zikahulumeni, kunzima ukulindela impendulo esivunguvungwini esilandelayo ngaphandle kokucabangela ukuthi ingakanani imfucumfucu engase ikhiqizwe, izinga lapho imfucumfucu izongcoliswa kangakanani, ukuthi kuyodingeka ihlanzwe kanjani, nokuthi izinqwaba ze manje izinto ezingenamsebenzi zizolahlwa. Ngemva kukaSandy, imfucumfucu evela emabhishi endaweni eyodwa encane esogwini iyodwa yaba phezulu ngaphezu kwamakhanda ethu ngemva kokuba isihlungiwe, yahlungwa, futhi isihlabathi esihlanziwe sabuyela ogwini. Futhi, yiqiniso, ukulindela ukuthi amanzi azofika kuphi futhi kanjani ogwini nakho kuwubuqili. Njengezinhlelo zokuxwayisa nge-tsunami, ukutshala imali kumthamo wokumodela we-NOAA's storm surge modelling (SLOSH) kuzosiza imiphakathi ukuthi izilungiselele kakhudlwana.

Abahleli bangase futhi bazuze olwazini lokuthi izimiso ezinempilo zogu lwemvelo—ezaziwa ngokuthi izithiyo zeziphepho ezithambile noma zemvelo—zingasiza ekuvimbeni imiphumela yokuqhuma futhi zihlukanise amandla ako.[3] Njengoba kunezimfunda ezinempilo zotshani basolwandle, amaxhaphozi, izindunduma zesihlabathi, nemihlume njengesibonelo, amandla amanzi angase angonakalisi kangako futhi abangele udoti omncane, kanye nezinselele ezimbalwa ngemva kwalokho. Ngakho, ukubuyisela izimiso zemvelo ezinempilo eduze nogu lwethu kunikeza indawo yokuhlala eyengeziwe futhi engcono komakhelwane bethu basolwandle, futhi kunganikeza imiphakathi yabantu izinzuzo zokuzilibazisa nezomnotho, kanye, nokunciphisa ngemva kwenhlekelele.

[1] Isingeniso se-NOAA Sokukhuphuka Kwesiphepho, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hurricane/resources/surge_intro.pdf

[2] BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25298428

[3]Izivikelo zemvelo zingavikela kangcono ugu, http://www.climatecentral.org/news/natural-defenses-can-best-protect-coasts-says-study-16864