Ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kuyinto ethinta umhlaba wonke engagcini nje ngokuthinta imvelo yasemhlabeni, kodwa futhi inomthelela omkhulu izilwandle. Izilwandle zimunca ukushisa okukhulu okukhiqizwa ukugcwala okwandayo kwe amagesi okushisa ukushisa emkhathini, kanye nengxenye yesithathu ye-CO2 ekhishwa imisebenzi yabantu. Lokhu kumuncwa kwe-carbon dioxide kubangela ukwenziwa kwe-asidi yolwandle, usongo oluthulile olunemiphumela engathi sína ngezilwane zasolwandle.
UNicolás Gruber, uprofesa we-Environmental Physics e-ETH Zurich, uyaxwayisa: “Naphezu kwalezi zinguquko ezinkulu, abantu abaningi abazi ukuthi kwenzekani olwandle lwethu.” Ukubhekana nale nkinga, ithimba labacwaningi lenze ithuluzi lewebhu elisungulayo elikuvumela ukuthi ubone ngeso lengqondo inqubo ye i-acidification yolwandle ezifundeni ezahlukene ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kusetshenziswa imithende enamakhodi anombala.
Ukuqonda inqubo ye-Ocean Acidification
Lapho i-CO2 incibilika emanzini olwandle, iyakha i-carbonic acid, okubangela ukwehla kwe-pH futhi ngenxa yalokho i-asidi yolwandle. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingxenye ye-carbonic acid ihlangana ne- i-carbonate ions zincibilike emanzini, kunciphisa isimo sokugcwala kwamanzi olwandle maqondana namaminerali e-carbonate afana i-aragonite, ingxenye ebalulekile yokwakhiwa kwamathambo namagobolondo ezinto eziningi eziphilayo zasolwandle.
Lezi zinguquko zamakhemikhali zimelela usongo olukhulu kulezo zinhlobo zasolwandle ezincike ezakhiweni ze-calcareous, njenge i-plankton, i izimbaza kanye amakhorali. UNicolás Gruber uqokomisa ukubaluleka kwalezi zinambuzane: "Njengoba ngokuvamile ziyisisekelo sochungechunge lokudla, zibalulekile ezintweni eziningi eziphilayo zasolwandle, ngakho-ke, zibalulekile nakithina bantu."
Ithuluzi Lokubona Ngeso Lengqondo I-Ocean Acidification
Ijeneretha entsha ye-strip eyakhiwe abacwaningi be-ETH Zurich i ukufinyelela kwamahhala futhi ivumela abasebenzisi ukuthi babone ngeso lengqondo izinguquko ku-acidity (pH) noma ukugcwaliswa kwe-aragonite ngaphezu kwalokho 60 izifunda zolwandle. Isibonelo, umuntu ohlela iholide lasogwini angakwazi ukubona izinga le-acidification yolwandle lapho aya khona ngokukhetha isifunda esihambisanayo futhi akhiqize amabhendi e-acidification.
UDanling Ma, umlobi wokuqala walolu cwaningo, uthi: “Kufakazelwa ukuthi ulwandle lumunca i-CO2 emkhathini futhi lube ne-asidi. "Kodwa kuze kube manje ukubonwa akukakaqinisekisi ngokwanele ukwanda komhlaba wonke." Ngenxa yalolu cwaningo, leli gebe lolwazi livaliwe. «Imiphumela yethu iqinisekisa ukuthi pH kanye i-aragonite saturation kwehle kulo lonke ulwandle olwandle futhi le mikhuba ibangelwa ikakhulukazi ukwanda kwekhabhoni encibilikisiwe emuncwa emkhathini,” kuphetha uMa.
Umthelela ku-Marine Ecosystems
I-Ocean acidification inomthelela oqondile empilweni nasekuphileni kwezinhlobo eziningi zasolwandle. I amakhorali, ngokwesibonelo, asengozini ikakhulukazi yalezi zinguquko zamakhemikhali. Ukuncipha kwe-pH kanye nokugcwala kwe-aragonite kwenza kube nzima ukwakha nokugcina amathambo e-calcareous, okungaholela ekucekeleni phansi nokufa kwezixhobo zamakhorali, okuyikhaya lezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlobo eziningi ze- i-plankton, njengama- pteropods, nawo ayathinteka ekugawulweni kwe-asidi. Lezi zinambuzane ezincane zidlala indima ebalulekile emizimbeni yokudla olwandle, njengoba zisebenza njengokudla kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinhlanzi nezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. Ukwehla kwenani labantu ngenxa ye-asidi kungaba nomthelela omubi kuyo yonke imvelo yasolwandle.
Isidingo Sokulwa Nokuguquka Kwesimo Sezulu
I-Ocean acidification iwumphumela oqondile we ukukhishwa kwe-anthropogenic CO2, kanye nomthelela wayo eziphila emanzini kugcizelela ukuphuthuma kokuthatha izinyathelo zokunciphisa ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu. Ukunciphisa kakhulu ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa kubalulekile ukuze kunqandwe ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kanye ne-acidification yolwandle.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, kubalulekile ukuqwashisa umphakathi ngale nkinga nemiphumela yayo. Amathuluzi afana nejeneretha ye-acidification strip eyakhiwe abacwaningi be-ETH Zurich aba negalelo ekwenzeni le nto ibonakale futhi ikhiqize ukuqonda okwengeziwe ngokubaluleka kokuvikela izilwandle zethu.
Vikela Izilwandle, Vikela Ikusasa Lethu
Izilwandle zinendima ebalulekile ekulawuleni isimo sezulu, zikhiqize umoya-mpilo, futhi zisekele inqwaba yezilwane zasolwandle. Kodwa-ke, i-acidification yolwandle, kanye neminye imithelela yokuguquka kwesimo sezulu, ibeka engcupheni impilo nokulinganisela kwalezi zinhlelo zemvelo ezinkulu.
Kubalulekile ukuthi sithathe izinyathelo eziphuthumayo ukuze vikela izilwandle zethu kanye nokuqinisekisa amandla abo okumelana nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu. Lokhu akusho nje ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-CO2 kuphela, kodwa nokusebenzisa amasu okonga nokuphathwa ngendlela eqhubekayo kwemithombo yasolwandle.
Ngamunye wethu uneqhaza okufanele alibambe ekulweni nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nokuvikela izilwandle. Kusukela ekwamukeleni izindlela zokuphila ezisimeme kuya ekusekeleni izinqubomgomo nezenzo ezikhuthaza ukongiwa kolwandle, izinqumo zethu ngabanye nezenzo zingenza umehluko.
I-Ocean acidification iwusongo oluthule kodwa olubhubhisayo empilweni yasolwandle futhi, ekugcineni, nenhlalakahle yethu. Sekuyisikhathi sokuqaphela futhi uthathe isinyathelo ukuvikela lezi zimiso zemvelo ezibalulekile ngaphambi kokuba kuphuze kakhulu. Ikusasa lezilwandle zethu kanye nezilwane ezingenakubalwa ezincike kuzo kusezandleni zethu.
Ngingu-Sebastián Vidal, unjiniyela wekhompyutha ozifelayo ngobuchwepheshe kanye ne-DIY. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngingumdali we tecnobits.com, lapho ngabelana khona ngezifundo zokwenza ubuchwepheshe bufinyeleleke kakhudlwana futhi buqonde wonke umuntu.