I-Eruption
Njengomdabu waseWashington, nganginethuba elingavamile lokubhekana nokuqhuma kweMount St. Helens nemiphumela yalo emva. Ngesikhathi ngisakhula eNkhulane, ngangihamba ngezigaba ezihlukahlukene, kusukela ekuqaliseni kokuqala ekuqhumeni kuya ekushiseni okushisayo, okunamandla nezinsuku zokuphila ezweni eligugile. Kamuva, njenge-Weyerhaeuser intern ehlobo, ngathola ithuba lokuvakashela izindawo zangasese zenkampani yangasese ngaphakathi kwendawo yokuqhuma, kanye nalawo mazwe omhlaba owonakele obala.Mount St.
U-Helens wavusa impilo ngasekupheleni kuka-March ka-1980. Ukuzamazama komhlaba kanye nezivunguvungu kanye nomlotha wesikhuni sasigcina sonke siphezu kwezihlalo zethu, nokho sasiphatha lesi senzakalo njengendlela entsha, kunokuba kube yingozi enkulu. Ngokuqinisekile sasiphephile e-Eastern Washington, emakhilomitha angu-300 ukusuka emantongeni enqaba ukushiya intaba kanye nama-look-loos ahlangene ukuze abe yingxenye yengozi nenjabulo. Yini okwadingeka sikhathazeke ngayo?
Noma kunjalo, izingxoxo zansuku zonke zazizungeze umsebenzi wamuva ku-volcano, kokubili kwesimo somuntu nesintu. Njengoba uhlangothi lwaseSt. Helens lukhula, sasibuka futhi silinda. Uma noma kuphi lapho kuqhuma khona intaba-mlilo, sonke sasinemibukiso yemifudlana ye-lava ekhazimulayo ekhuphuka entabeni, njengezintaba-mlilo eHawaii-okungenani ngenza.
Ekugcineni, ngo-8: 32 ekuseni ngeSonto, ngoMeyi 18, intaba yavuthela. Siyazi manje izinto ezimbi ezenzeka ngalolo suku endaweni yokuqhuma - izimpilo ezazilahlekile, ama-slides odaka, imigwaqo emigodi.
Kodwa ngalolo suku lweSonto ekuseni, e-Spokane, kwakungakabonakali okwangempela, kwakungabonakali njengento engathinta ngokuqondile ukuphila kwethu. Ngakho, emndenini wami futhi ngaya ukuvakashela abanye abangane ngaphesheya kwedolobha. Kwakukhona inkulumo ethile yokushaya indiza, kodwa kwakukhona ukuqhuma eWestern Washington kusukela ekuqhumeni okuncane.
Wonke umuntu usanda kuwufakela phansi futhi wahamba nebhizinisi lakhe, akukho okunye okukhulu. Lapho sesifikile endlini yabangane bethu, sahlangana ngethelevishini ukuze sibuke izindaba zakamuva. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakungekho ifilimu etholakalayo ebonisa iplamu enkulu kakhulu ehlwitha amalwandle omlotha emkhathini. Isexwayiso esiyinhloko sokuthi into ethile engavamile yayizokwenzeka evela kuma-satellite alandelela ifu lomlotha njengoba libheke empumalanga, nemibiko ye-surreal evela emadolobheni lapho umlotha uqala ukuwa khona.
Ngokushesha, sibona umkhawulo oholela phambili wefu lomlotha. Kwakunjengomthunzi omnyama wefasitela uhanjiswe esibhakabhakeni, usula ukukhanya kwelanga. Ngalesi sikhathi, ukuqhuma kwentaba yaseSt. Helens yaba yinto yangempela. Umndeni wakithi wagijima emotweni futhi sahamba ekhaya. Ngokushesha kwaba mnyama njengobusuku, kodwa kwakusasa ntambama. U-Ash waqala ukuwa njengoba sisondela ekhaya. Senza khona lapho, kodwa ngisho nasendlini emfushane emotweni eya endlini, izikhukhula ezishisayo zomlotha zafaka izinwele zethu, isikhumba, nezingubo ngezinhlayiya ezimpunga.
Ukuntwela okulandelayo kwaveza umhlaba ogcwele emagqumeni amnyama, isibhakabhaka esinamafu esihambayo esingakwazi ukuwafinyelela futhi sithinte ngezandla zethu. Ukubonakala kwakunqunyelwe. Isikole sikhanseliwe, kunjalo.
Akekho owazi ukuthi benzeni nalo lonke umlotha. Ingabe yayinobucayi noma iyingozi? Ngokushesha sifunde amaqhinga adingekayo ukuze asebenze ezweni eligcwele umlotha, efaka iphepha lezindlu zangasese ezungeze izihlungi zomoya emotweni kanye nezinhlayiya noma izicathulo zothuli ezungeze ubuso.
Ngichitha ehlobo lika-1987 njengesikole se-The Weyerhaeuser Company. Ngolunye usuku ngempelasonto, mina nomngane wami sanquma ukuhamba ekamelweni eGifford Pinchot National Forest, lapho kukhona khona iSikhumbuzo seNtaba yaseMount St. Helens kanye nengxenye ebalulekile yendawo yokuqhuma. Kwakuyiminyaka engaphezu kwengu-7 kusukela ukuqhuma, kodwa kuze kube manje bekungekho ukuthuthukiswa okuncane kwemigwaqo eya endaweni yokuqhuma, kanti isikhungo sezovakashi kuphela sasiseSiliva Lake, ibanga elide ukusuka entabeni. Kwakuyinkimbinkimbi, ntambama enkulu - sasilahleka ukushayela emigwaqweni yokusiza ehlathini. Siphelela ekuhambeni okungavunyelwe, kwendlela eyodwa eyasithatha ngqo endaweni yokuqhuma.Njengoba sasingekho empeleni esihlose ukushayela endaweni eyonakalisiwe, sasingakulungele izinto ezazisibingelela. Sithole amamayela namamayela wezintaba ezimpunga zimbozwe ngemithi emnyama, ehlanjululwe noma ehlutshiwe, konke kulele ngendlela efanayo. Ifu eliphansi limboza kuphela ukufaka umphumela wokushisa we-devastation. Ngawo wonke amagquma esiwagcobayo, kwakungokufanayo.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, sabuyela futhi sakhuphuka eWilly Ridge, esibheka ngaphesheya kweLwandle Lomoya libhekele entabeni. Ichibi laligcwele amahektare emigodi ehambile, ehlanganiswe ekugcineni. Indawo ezungeze lo mgwaqo, njengezindawo eziningi esizihlola ngaphakathi kweSikhumbuzo seNational Volcanic, yayisemngcwabeni epumice nomlotha. Kwakudingeka ubheke kanzima ukubona imidwebo yokuthola izitshalo.
Kamuva ngaleyohlobo ehlobo, u-Weyerhaeuser wasiphatha ama-interns enkambeni yasemasimini emazweni abo ehlathini, ezigayini zemithi, nezinye izinto zokusebenza. Sathunyelwa endaweni yendawo yokuqhuma eyayiyimfihlo yenkampani yamahlathi, lapho ukuphindwa kabusha kwase kuqalile kakade. Umehluko phakathi kwale ndawo, lapho ihlathi lesifuba-eliphakeme elivuthiwe limboza khona ama-slope, lalihlaba umxhwele uma kuqhathaniswa namazwe omphakathi endaweni yokuqhuma, okwakushiywe ukuzitholela eyedwa.
Kusukela ehlobo, ngibuyele emuva ukuvakashela iSikhumbuzo seNtaba yaseMount St. Helens kanye nezivakashi eziningana izikhathi eziningi. Ngaso sonke isikhathi, ngiyamangala ngezinga elibonakalayo lokubuyiselwa kwezitshalo nezilwane, futhi ngigxilile yizibukiso kanye neminikelo ezindaweni ezihambele izivakashi. Ngenkathi ubukhulu bemiphumela yokuqhuma kubonakala kubonakala, ubufakazi bamandla okuphila ukuziphindaphinda ngokwabo awunakuphikwa.