Ikhono Lobunjiniyela Lebhele Lasezindaweni Ezineqhwa
IBHELE lasezindaweni ezineqhwa lingafundisa isintu okuningi kakhulu mayelana nokusebenzisa amandla elanga, ngokososayensi abathile. Isazi sesayensi yezinto zemvelo uRichard E. Grojean lomqondo sawuthola maphakathi nawo-1970, ngemva kokuba kutholwe okuthile okuthakazelisayo ngezilwane ezimhlophe zaseArctic.
Abathatha izibalo zezilwane zasendle baseCanada bathola ukuthi babengenakukwazi ukumane nje bathwebule izithombe ezivamile ezithathelwa emoyeni zalezidalwa, njengoba zifana nendawo emhlophe ezikuyo. Ifilimu ethathwa ngemisebe, ngokuvamile ekahle kakhulu ekuthwebuleni izilwane ezinegazi elifudumele, nayo yahluleka. Lezilwane zazimane nje zivikeleke kahle kakhulu ukuba zikhiphe ukushisa okwanele okungase kuhlaziywe yifilimu. Nokho, lapho kusetshenziwa ifilimu eultraviolet, izimvu zamanzi ezimhlophe namabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa avela njengezinto ezimnyama ngokugqamile endaweni emhlophe. “Nakuba iqhwa laliyiphebeza imisebe eultraviolet, izilwane zayidonsa,” kubika iToronto Star.
Ngani? Ngokwesazi sesayensi yezinto zemvelo uGrojean noGregory Kowalski, naye onguprofesa wobujiniyela bemishini, isikhumba sebhele yiso esibangela lokhu. Engxenyeni engasekugcineni engabonakali, eultraviolet yemibala yokukhanya, uboya besikhumba bubamba amaphesenti angu-90 okukhanya oku-ultraviolet futhi bukudlulisela esikhunjeni esimnyama esingaphansi, ngaleyondlela bufudumeze ibhele. EArctic, lapho izinga lokubanda ngokuvamile lehlela ku--29° C., ikhono lesikhumba lokugcina umniniso efudumele liyaphawuleka. Izinto ezivamile ezibekwa ophahleni ezidonsa amandla elanga, ngokuphambene, aziphumeleli kakhulu. Eqinisweni, uKowalski ulinganisela ukuthi izinto ezidonsa amandla elanga ezenziwe abantu zingase ziphumeleliswe ngokwengeziwe ngamaphesenti angu-50 ngokusebenzisa izimiso zesikhumba sebhele lasezindaweni ezineqhwa.
Engxenyeni ebonakalayo yemibala yokukhanya, uboya obusesikhunjeni busabela ngendlela ephambene ngempela; buphebeza amaphesenti angu-90 okukhanya. Lokhu kunikeza ibhele ukubonakala kwalo okumhlophe okucwazimulayo, ngisho nakuba uboya ngokwabo bungemhlophe ngempela kodwa bubonisa ngalé futhi abunambala. Ubumhlophe besikhumba benza ukuba ibhele likwazi ukuzingela lingabonakali endaweni eneqhwa yaseArctic. Ezinye izingqapheli ziye zabona ngisho nokubona amabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa efihla amakhala awo amnyama njengoba enyonyobela inyamazane yawo, njengokungathi ayasiqaphela isidingo sokuzifanelanisa neqhwa.
Ngaleyondlela isikhumba sebhele lasezindaweni ezineqhwa sibonisa ngokunembile izidingo ezimbili eziyisihluthulelo zalesilwane: ukubukeka simhlophe nokuhlala sifudumele. Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi isazi sesayensi yezinto zemvelo uGrojean satusa lesikhumba ‘njengekhono lobunjiniyela elimangalisayo.’ Sekukonke, lesilwane esiyingqayizivele nesimangalisayo sifakazela ukuhlakanipha koMdali waso.