Ukuqapha ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kusuka emkhathini: Zonke izandla ezisemphemeni ukusindisa Umhlaba

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• October 11, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Ososayensi badinga ukwazi imithelela ethile yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu ukuze bakhe amasu nobuchwepheshe bokunciphisa. Amanye amasathelayithi okubuka umhlaba nobuchwepheshe obusekelwe emkhathini kusetshenziswa ukuletha idatha ethembekile, yesikhathi eside mayelana nokuthi amagesi abamba ukushisa ayithinte kanjani iplanethi. Lolu lwazi lwenza abacwaningi bakwazi ukubona amaphethini asafufusa futhi benze izibikezelo ezinembe kakhudlwana.

Ukuqapha ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kusuka kumkhathi

Ukuqapha imvelo ngamasathelayithi okubuka umhlaba kudlala indima ebalulekile ekuqondeni imvelo yeplanethi yethu nomkhathi. Lawa masathelayithi abalulekile ekubhekeni izindawo lapho ingqalasizinda esekelwe phansi ingenzeki khona. Isibonelo, phakathi nemililo yehlathi ebhubhisayo e-Australia ekupheleni konyaka ka-2019, amasathelayithi abe nesandla ekulandeleni umthelela wale mililo kukhwalithi yomoya emabanga amade, okuhlanganisa amakhilomitha ayi-15,000 e-US. Ngaphandle kokulandelela izenzakalo zasemhlabeni, lawa masathelayithi abalulekile ezifundweni zolwandle. Njengoba izilwandle zimboza cishe amaphesenti angama-70 omhlaba, ziwukhiye wokulawula isimo sezulu, ukumunca isikhutha, nokusekela izilwane zasolwandle ezihlinzeka ngokudla emiphakathini yasogwini.

Ikusasa lobuchwepheshe besathelayithi lilungele ukuletha intuthuko ebalulekile ekuqondeni kwethu Umhlaba. Enye intuthuko enjalo ukudalwa kwewele ledijithali elinembe kakhudlwana loMhlaba. Le modeli yedijithali izokwenza ososayensi bakwazi ukulingisa izimo ezihlukahlukene futhi bahlole imiphumela engaba khona, kuthuthukise ikhono lethu lokubikezela kanye nokunciphisa izinselele zemvelo. Umngcele olandelayo ekubukeni okusekelwe emkhathini uhlanganisa ohambweni lwe-hyperspectral meteorology. Le mishini ihlose ukuhlinzeka ngedatha ebanzi enezinhlangothi ezintathu mayelana nomkhathi womhlaba, edlula idatha yezinga eliphezulu. Le datha ethuthukisiwe ngeke nje inikeze imininingwane ejulile ngezimo zomkhathi njengokuhamba komoya, ukungcola, nezishingishane kodwa futhi izothuthukisa ikhono lethu lokuqapha ikhwalithi yamanzi, ukuhlukahluka kwemvelo, nezinye izinkomba zemvelo ezibalulekile.

Imithelela yalokhu kuthuthuka kobuchwepheshe besathelayithi ijulile. Ngolwazi oluningiliziwe nolufike ngesikhathi, abacwaningi bazokwazi ukubuka amaphethini emvelo yomhlaba wonke ngokunemba okukhulu. Lokhu kuzokwenza izibikezelo ezinembe kakhudlwana zemiphumela yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, okuhlanganisa ukuvela kwesomiso, amagagasi okushisa, nemililo yamahlathi. Imibono enjalo enemininingwane ibalulekile ekuklameni amasu okubhekana nalezi zinselelo zemvelo. 

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ngo-2021, i-US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) kanye ne-European Space Agency (ESA) bamemezele ukubambisana ukuze kuqashwe ukuthi ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kuwuthinta kanjani uMhlaba ngokwabelana ngedatha yesathelayithi nezibalo. Zombili lezi zikhungo zinamathuluzi namaqembu athuthuke kakhulu okuqapha nokucwaninga kwendawo. Ngokombiko we-ESA kwabezindaba, lesi sivumelwano sizosebenza njengesibonelo sokubambisana kwamazwe ngamazwe esizayo, sinikeze idatha ebalulekile ekubhekaneni nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu kanye nokuphendula izinkinga ezicindezela kakhulu kwisayensi yoMhlaba. Lokhu kubambisana kuphezu kwamaphrojekthi ahlangene afana ne-Earth System Observatory. Iphrojekthi ye-observatory igxile kakhulu emisebenzini esekelwe eMhlabeni yokuhlinzeka ngemininingwane ebalulekile mayelana nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, ukuvimbela izinhlekelele, ukusha kwehlathi, nezinqubo zezolimo zesikhathi sangempela. 

Khonamanjalo, ngo-2022, i-NASA yamemezela izinhlelo zayo zokwethula iphrojekthi yesathelayithi ebizwa nge-TROPICS (Isakhiwo Esixazululiwe Sokubhekwa Kwemvula Nokuqina Kwesiphepho Nge-Constellation of Smallsats). I-ejensi izokwethula amasathelayithi amancane (amancane) ayisithupha ku-orbit ukuze iqonde kangcono ukuthi iziphepho zasezindaweni ezishisayo zenziwa kanjani, obekunzima ukuzibikezela. La mayunithi afakwe ama-radiometer e-microwave azokwenza ababikezeli bakwazi ukubona izenzakalo ezingabonakali ngeso lenyama.

Idatha izodluliselwa emuva Emhlabeni ngamamodeli ezinombolo zokubikezela isimo sezulu. Ngo-2021, kwethulwa isethelayithi yokuhlola, eyanikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana neSiphepho i-Ida. Njengoba iziphepho ziba njalo ngenxa yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, le datha eyengeziwe izosiza abacwaningi balandelele iziphepho zasezindaweni ezishisayo ngokunembe kakhudlwana.

Imithelela yokuqapha ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu endaweni

Imithelela ebanzi yokuqapha ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu emkhathini ingabandakanya: 

• Izinkampani ezengeziwe, njenge-SpaceX, ezigxile ekudaleni amasathelayithi nama-drones okwenziwa ngobuhlakani ukuze kuqashwe indawo.
• Inani elikhulayo lamabhizinisi okubuka umhlaba ahlinzeka ngobuchwepheshe obuhlukene bokuqapha, njengokulinganisa izinyathelo ezishisayo zezakhiwo kanye nokulawula ukungcoliswa komoya.
• Kukhushulwe ubudlelwano phakathi kwama-ejensi ahlukene asemkhathini ukuze kwabelwane ngolwazi olubalulekile. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kubambisana kuzoncika ekutheni ipolitiki yasemkhathini kanye nemithethonqubo ithuthukiswa kanjani.
• Iziqalo ezidala amawele edijithali amadolobha, amahlathi emvula, izilwandle, nezingwadule ukuqapha ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu.
• Izimpikiswano ezikhulayo zokuthi inani elandayo lamasathelayithi, kokubili izinjongo zokuqapha nezohwebo, zenza kube nzima ngezazi zezinkanyezi ukufunda indawo.
• Izinkampani zomshwalense ezilungisa izinqubomgomo kanye namaphrimiyamu ngokusekelwe kudatha enembe kakhudlwana yezemvelo, okuholela ekuhloleni ubungozi obunembe kakhudlwana ngezinhlekelele zemvelo.
• Abahleli basemadolobheni abasebenzisa idatha yesathelayithi ethuthukisiwe ukuze baklame amadolobha avumelane kangcono nezimo zezulu ezishintshayo, okuholela ezindaweni zasemadolobheni ezikwazi ukumelana nezimo.
• Izimboni zezolimo zisebenzisa izinhlelo zokuqapha ezisekelwe kwisathelayithi ukuze zikhulise isivuno sezitshalo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezinsiza, okuholela ekwandeni kokuvikeleka kokudla kanye nezinqubo zokulima ezisimeme.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ohulumeni bangabambisana kanjani futhi ukuze baqaphe ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu besemkhathini?
• Yibuphi obunye ubuchwepheshe obungase busize ososayensi baqaphe basemkhathini?