I-Los imifula yasemkhathini (i-RA, noma i-AR ngesiNgisi, i-Atmospheric Rivers) izifunda ezincane zomswakama ezigxila emkhathini. Le misinga iqukethe inani elikhulu lomhwamuko wamanzi, ongabangela izinkinga ezinkulu ezindaweni ezisogwini futhi kuthinte isimo sezulu sezindawo ezihlukahlukene emhlabeni jikelele. Kulesi sihloko, sizohlola ukuthi iyini imifula yasemkhathini, yakha kanjani, umthelela wayo endaweni ezungezile, kanye nezingozi ezingaba nazo.
Iyini imifula yomkhathi?
Imifula ye-atmospheric inesibopho sokuthuthwa komhwamuko wamanzi ovundlile usuka ezindaweni ezishisayo ukuya ezindaweni ezipholile nezipholile. Ngobude bamakhilomitha amaningana nobubanzi obungafinyelela emakhulwini amakhilomitha, le mifula ingathwala amanzi amaningi amakhulu kakhulu kunalawo emifula emikhulukazi eMhlabeni, njenge-Amazon. Nakuba zithatha amaphesenti angu-10 kuphela omjikelezo weplanethi, zidlala indima ebalulekile emjikelezweni wamanzi, okwenza ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angama-90 womusi wamanzi osuka enyakatho uye eningizimu.
Ukwakheka kwemifula yasemkhathini kuxhumene nezinhlelo zesimo sezulu, okuhlanganisa iziphepho ezisuka ezindaweni ezishisayo kanye nezindawo ezibandayo. Lezi zenzakalo zidala izimo zengcindezi ephansi ezenza kube lula ukunqwabelana komhwamuko emkhathini.
Umswakama ogxile emifuleni esemkhathini uvela ngokuyinhloko emanzini afudumele olwandle, lapho amanzi ehwamuka futhi akhuphukele emoyeni. Lapho lo moya onomswakama uya ezindaweni ezibandayo, ungacinana futhi ubangele imvula.
Yimuphi umonakalo ongadalwa yimifula yasemkhathini?
Nakuba imifula eminingi esemkhathini ingenabungozi futhi inikeza imvula enenzuzo, ukuqina kwayo ngezinye izikhathi kungabangela izinhlekelele ezinkulu. Imithelela emibi evamile ihlanganisa:
- Izikhukhula: Imifula ewumkhathi ingabangela izimvula ezinamandla ezigcwalisa inhlabathi futhi zibangele izikhukhula ezindaweni ezithintekile.
- Amaslayidi aphansi: Imvula enamandla inyusa ingozi yokudilika kwenhlabathi, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezinezintaba noma lezo ezinenhlabathi engazinzile.
- Ukulahlekelwa kwezinto: Izikhukhula nokudilika kwenhlabathi kungabangela umonakalo omkhulu engqalasizinda, impahla, nezilimo.
- Umthelela empilweni yomuntu neyezilwane: Ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, izikhukhula zingaholela ekulahlekelweni kwempilo yabantu kanye nezilwane zasendle.
Icala eliphawulekayo lenzeka ngo-December 18, 2016, lapho umfula wasemkhathini udala umonakalo omkhulu eningizimu naseningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Iberian Peninsula kanye ne-Balearic Islands. Kwaqoshwa amalitha angaphezu kuka-120 ngemitha-skwele ngamahora ayishumi nambili nje kuphela, okubangele izikhukhula nokufa okudabukisayo kwabantu abathathu.
Umjikelezo wokwakheka kwemifula yasemkhathini
Imifula ye-atmospheric iyisenzakalo sesimo sezulu esithakazelisayo esibandakanya izinyathelo ezimbalwa ekwakhekeni kwayo:
- Umhwamuko: Amanzi olwandle afudumele ayahwamuka, enze umhwamuko okhuphukela emkhathini.
- Ukugxila: Lo mhwamuko ugxila emabhandeni amancane njengoba upheshulwa yimimoya.
- Ukuqina: Lapho umoya onomswakama uhlangabezana nesimiso somfutho omncane noma izintaba, uyaphola bese umhwamuko ujiya, wenze amafu.
- Imvula: Ngaphansi kwezimo ezifanele, lomhwamuko ukhishwa njengemvula noma iqhwa.
Izibonelo zemifula yasemkhathini nokubaluleka kwayo
Eminye imifula yasemkhathini yaziwa kakhulu ngomthelela wayo esimweni sezulu sesifunda. Isibonelo, "I-Pineapple Express» ithwala umswakama usuka eHawaii uwuyise ogwini olusentshonalanga ye-United States, okubangela izimvula ezinamandla nokuwa kweqhwa okungadambisa isomiso kodwa kubangele nezikhukhula.
Kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba, imifula ewumkhathi idlala indima ebalulekile ekutholakaleni kwamanzi. E-California, kulinganiselwa ukuthi phakathi kuka-25% no-50% wemvula yonyaka ivela kule mifula, okwenza lesi simo sibe sibalulekile kwezolimo kanye nomjikelezo wamanzi. Le mvula ibalulekile ekugcwaliseni amadamu, ukusekela ezolimo, kanye nokushajwa kabusha kwezindawo ezingaphansi komhlaba.
Umthelela wokuguquka kwesimo sezulu emifuleni esemoyeni
Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu kuthinta ukuguquguquka kwemifula esemoyeni. Kulindeleke ukuthi ngokwenyuka kwamazinga okushisa, umthamo womhwamuko wamanzi le mifula ekwazi ukuthwala nawo uzokwenyuka.. Lokhu kungase kubangele imvula enamandla kakhulu futhi njalo, kanye nezimo zezulu ezimbi kakhulu.
Ososayensi baye baphawula ukuthi izinga lokushisa lomoya liye lenyuka cishe nge-degree Celsius phakathi nekhulu leminyaka elidlule, futhi kulindeleke ukuthi liqhubeke likhuphuka. Lolu shintsho lungaholela ekwenyukeni ngo-7% kwamandla omoya okubamba umhwamuko kuwo wonke amadigri engeziwe okushisa, okusho ukuthi imifula yasemkhathini ingaba "manzi" futhi ibe namandla ngokwengeziwe esikhathini esizayo.
Ezifundweni zakamuva, kukhonjisiwe lokho Imifula ye-atmospheric ibophezele kuze kufike ku-50% wezenzakalo zemvula ezimbi kakhulu okwenzeka ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Lokhu akubandakanyi izikhukhula ezindaweni ezisogwini kuphela, kodwa nesomiso kwezinye izindawo ngenxa yokushintsha kwezimo zemvula.
Ukubheka ikusasa
Ikusasa lemifula yasemkhathini yindaba yocwaningo oluqhubekayo. Abanye abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi ukufuduka okuphoqelekile kwale mifula ngenxa yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu kungashintsha indlela imvula esatshalaliswa ngayo emhlabeni wonke, okungase kubangele isomiso esithe xaxa ezindaweni ezimanzi njengamanje kanye nezikhukhula eziningi ezindaweni ezomile. Okutholwe kwakamuva mayelana nobudlelwano phakathi kwamazinga okushisa amanzi ase-Pacific kanye nendawo yemifula yasemkhathini kubalulekile ekubikezeleni ukuthi zingathinta kanjani izindawo ezihlukene zomhlaba.
Ucwaningo lwemifula yasemkhathini lubalulekile ekuhleleni nasekunciphiseni ubungozi bayo, kanye nokuqonda indima yayo emjikelezweni wamanzi womhlaba. Ngokukhula kwemvamisa yezehlakalo zesimo sezulu esibi kakhulu, ukuqapha kanye nokwenza imodeli yale misinga kuya ngokuya kubaluleke kakhulu ekuphepheni nasekusimameni kwemiphakathi eyahlukene emhlabeni jikelele. Kubalulekile ukuqwashisa ngemifula yasemkhathini kanye nomthelela wayo, hhayi kuphela mayelana nezingozi, kodwa nasendleleni enathonya ngayo imvelo kanye nokuba khona kwemithombo yamanzi.