Isizathu Sokuba Sibizwe Ngokuba Sisiqithi Esikhulu

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EHAWAII

XA ABANTU becinga ngeziQithi zeHawaii, yintoni ethi qatha engqondweni? Mhlawumbi bacinga ngonxweme olunentlabathi emhlophe, amanzi acocekileyo, imithi yesundu nemozulu efudumeleyo ebusuku apho abantu bazihlalela kwiiveranda bekhanyise izibane ekuthiwa ziitiki. Kubakho nomsitho wesiPolynesia apho kuye kutyiwe ipayinapile, ipoi, isaladi eyenziwe ngentlanzi ebizwa ngokuba yilomilomi, nenyama yehagu esongelwa ngamagqabi ebhanana xa iphekwa. Kutsho kuthi ngco ngaphakathi kubo bonke abakhoyo!

Eneneni, abantu abaninzi baseHawaii banandipha nezinye izinto ezibangel’ umdla! Okokuqala, isiqithi saseHawaii sibizwa ngokuba sisiQithi Esikhulu kuba ezinye iziqithi ezikhulu eziphakathi kweziQithi zeHawaii—iOahu, iMaui, neKauai—zingena lula kwesi siQithi Sikhulu! Esi siqithi simangalisayo sigubungela umgama oziziskwe khilomitha ezili-10 432 yaye sisanda. Kodwa siza kuthetha kamva ngoko.

Indawo Nemozulu

Ekubeni isesona siqithi sisezantsi, isiQithi Esikhulu sinemozulu epholileyo. Iqondo lobushushu emini kwiindawo ezikunxweme ezithandwa ngabakhenkethi liqala kuma-80 ehlotyeni (ngoMeyi ukusa kuOktobha) lize lihle liye kutsho kuma-70 ebusika (ngoNovemba ukusa kuAprili), yaye ebusuku iqondo lobushushu liphakathi kwama-59 nama-64 ngokukaFahrenheit. Ngokuqhelekileyo, isithili saseKona, esikhuselekileyo emoyeni kwesi siqithi, sifudumele, yaye ummandla waseHilo okwicala elinomoya, uthandwa yimvula.

Imozulu eshushu nomhlaba wentaba-mlilo zenza iziqhamo nemifuno zikhule kakhulu. Kukho iimango ezimnandi, ipapaya, iilitshi, nezinye iziqhamo ezininzi, kwakunye neentyantyambo ezibizwa ngokuba ziiorchids neeanthuriums. Kukwakho nemithi yemacadamia nut nezityalo zekofu. Ikofu yaseKona idumile ehlabathini. Abathengisi bekofu abavela kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo beza bethontelana kwiKona Coffee Festival ukuze bayingcamle baze bayithenge.

Kwimimandla eyahlukahlukeneyo yesi siQithi Sikhulu imozulu yahluke kakhulu, kukho indawo enamahlathi nethandwa yimvula, kukho eyintlango, kubekho nenamathafa amakhulu asoloko enomkhenkce. Ummandla onamahlathi nothandwa yimvula ungakwimpuma yesi siqithi. Kulo mmandla kukho iintaka ezininzi ezintle, imithi yefeni neentlobo-ntlobo zeentyatyambo ezikhula endle. Umlinganiselo wemvula ena kwisithili saseKona-Kohala ngonyaka umalunga nama-25 eesentimitha, uze ube ngaphezu kwama-250 eesentimitha kummandla waseHilo.

IKilauea—Ummandla Onentaba-mlilo

Imimandla ebalasele ngokuba nentaba-mlilo mihlanu—yiMauna Loa, iMauna Kea, iKilauea, iKohala, neHualalai. Igama elithi Kilauea ngokoqobo lithetha ukuthi “Khupha Ngamandla.” Intaba-mlilo iKilauea yagqabhuka ngowe-1979. Ukususela ngowe-1983 udaka lwayo olushushu belusoloko luphuphuma. Luye lwatshabalalisa iidolophu ezintathu ezikufuphi nonxweme, noko ke luye lwabangela ukuba kuvuleke umhlaba omtsha ongamakhulu eehektare.

Xa olu daka lushushu lufika elunxwemeni lutsho ngengxolo eyoyikekayo, lukhuphe iingqimba zomphunga nomsi namafu yaye intlabathi yolwandle luyibetha ibe mnyama thsu. Ngokuqhelekileyo, akubi yongozi ukuba umntu abukele iKilauea emi kufuphi.

IMauna Kea eyayifudula inentaba-mlilo, ingama-4 205 eemitha ukuphakama, yaye yeyona iphakamileyo kwesi siqithi, ingaphezulu kancinane kwiMauna Loa, yona engama-4 169 eemitha ukuphakama. Noko ke, xa ukuphakama kwayo kulinganiswa ukusuka ngaphantsi kolwandle, iMauna Kea ingaphezu kwama-9 000 eemitha ukuphakama, nto leyo etheth’ ukuba yeyona ntaba iphakamileyo ehlabathini. Kanti ke, yona iMauna Loa ibalasele ngokuba yeyona ntaba inkulu ehlabathini lonke, imalunga nama-40 000 eekhilomitha ububanzi!

Izinto Ezahlukahlukeneyo Ezibangel’ Umdla

Ngexesha lasebusika, eMauna Kea kudla ngokuwa ikhephu, kanye njengoko ibizwa ngokuba yiNtaba Emhlophe. Abanye babemi balo mmandla badla ngokuya kudlala umtyibilizi kwelo khephu nangona oko kuyingozi kuba le ntaba izaliswe ngamathambeka anamatye. KwiScience Reserve ekwincopho yeMauna Kea, kukho iiteleskopu ezili-13, ezizezona zinamandla ehlabathini lonke, ezimela amazwe ali-11 awahlukahlukeneyo.

Kwimimandla ekufuphi nonxweme lwesi Siqithi Sikhulu, kudlalwa imidlalo emininzi yokuzonwabisa. Imidlalo edlalelwa emanzini idlalwa unyaka wonke kuba kusoloko kufudumele. Kukho unxweme oludume kakhulu olunentlabathi emhlophe oluneendawo zokuhlala abakhenkethi, kuphinde kubekho nonxweme ekungafane kuye bantu kulo ngaphandle kwabakhenkethi abathanda ukunyuk’ intaba nabahamba ngeenqwelo-mafutha ezitsala ngamavili amane.

Esi Siqithi Sikhulu sisikeleleke ngeendlela ezininzi—ubukhulu, indawo esikuyo, imozulu nendlela esimi ngayo. Uya kufumanisa ukuba abantu balapha banobubele nenyameko yaye bayakuvuyela ukubonakalisa umoya omhle waseHawaii, wokwamkel’ iindwendwe.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 16]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

NIIHAU

KAUAI

OAHU

HONOLULU

MOLOKAI

MAUI

LANAI

KAHOOLAWE

HAWAII

Hilo

Kohala

Mauna Kea

Hualalai

Mauna Loa

Kilauea

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

IMauna Kea ebonakala ngasemva

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

U.S. Geological Survey/Photo by T.J. Takahashi