Antarctica—Emajukujukwini

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Australia

UMLOBI othile uthi izingxenye ezithile ze-Antarctica zingabanda kakhulu kangangokuba “uma uwisa insimbi kungenzeka iphahlazeke njengengilazi, . . . futhi uma ukhipha inhlanzi emfuleni ivele iqine ingakapheli imizuzwana emihlanu ibe . . . yitshe.” Ngenxa yesimo sezulu esibanda ngokwedlulele nobuhle bayo obuhlukile—ngezinye izikhathi obuhambisana nombukwane ohlaba umxhwele wokukhanya kwaseningizimu—ungase ucabange ukuthi i-Antarctica ikomunye umhlaba.

Kodwa ngokuqinisekile i-Antarctica iyingxenye yomhlaba esikuwo. Empeleni, iye yafaniswa nesikhungo esikhulu sokucwaninga esingokwemvelo sokuhlola umhlaba nomkhathi wawo kanye nezinguquko ezenzeka endaweni ezungezile embulungeni yonke, kuhlanganise nalezo ezenziwa abantu. Ngenxa yalokhu kucwaninga ososayensi sebeqala ukukhathazeka. Baye baphawula izimpawu ezintsha ezibikezela okubi eZindaweni Zaseningizimu Ezineqhwa, futhi zisikisela ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi. Kodwa okokuqala, ake sibone ukuthi kungani i-Antarctica iyizwekazi eliyingqayizivele.

Okokuqala, i-Antarctica—izwekazi elisemajukujukwini kunawo wonke emhlabeni—iyizwekazi elinezinto eziphikisanayo. Yinhle ngokwedlulele futhi ayonakalisiwe kodwa kunzima ukuhlala kuyo. Iyindawo enomoya, ebanda kunazo zonke emhlabeni, kodwa intekenteke ngokungavamile. Inemvula encane ukwedlula noma iliphi elinye izwekazi, kodwa iqhwa elikuyo lingamaphesenti angu-70 awo wonke amanzi aphuzwayo kule planethi. Njengoba iqhwa liwugqinsi olungaba amamitha angu-2 200, lenza i-Antarctica ibe yizwekazi eliphakeme ukuwedlula wonke emhlabeni, ngesilinganiso esingamamitha angu-2 300 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle. Futhi iyizwekazi lesihlanu ngobukhulu emhlabeni, noma kunjalo azikho izakhamuzi ezihlala e-Antarctica ngaphandle kohlobo oluthile lwempukane eyinsensane engenazimpiko enobukhulu obuyisentimitha elilodwa.

Kufana Nokuvakashela Kuyi-Mars!

Njengoba uthubeleza uya phakathi e-Antarctica, ubona izimpawu ezincane kakhulu zokuphila, ikakhulukazi uma ufika ezindaweni ezibizwa ngokuthi izigodi ezomile. Njengoba zihlanganisa indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-3 000, lezi zingwadule ezineqhwa zivame ukuba phezulu eziNtabeni zaseTransantarctic—ukhahlamba lwezintaba olunqamula kulo lonke izwekazi futhi oluphakeme ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-4 300 kwezinye izindawo. Iziphepho ezibandayo zidlula kulezi zigodi ezomile futhi ngokushesha ziphephule iqhwa okungenzeka likhithikile. Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi lezi zigodi ziyiyona ndawo ecishe ifane nenhlabathi yeplanethi i-Mars lapha emhlabeni. Ngakho, zabonakala zifaneleka ukuba zisetshenziselwe ukuhlola imishini yasemkhathini ngaphambi kokuba kuthunyelwe imikhumbi-mkhathi i-Viking kuyi-Mars.

Noma kunjalo, izinto eziphilayo ziyatholakala ngisho nakulezi zigodi ezomile! Ngaphakathi ematsheni akhumuzekayo, ezikhaleni ezincane zomoya, kunezinhlobo zama-bacterium, ulwelwe nesikhunta ezikwazi ukumelana nesimo sezulu esibandayo. Ziphila ngaphandle komswakama. Ngaphandle, indawo ezikuyo inamadwala abizwa ngokuthi ama-ventifact, anesimo esimangalisayo nokuba bushelelezi okubangelwa umoya wase-Antarctica osunamakhulu eminyaka uvunguza.

Yethiwa Ngaphambi Kokuba Itholakale

Ukuqagela ukuthi kunezwe elikhulu eliseningizimu kuhlehlela emuva ezazini zefilosofi zamaGreki. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Aristotle wakubona kufaneleka ukuba kube nezwekazi eliseningizimu ukuze lisimamise amazwe okwakwaziwa ukuthi aseNyakatho Nenkabazwe. Incwadi ethi Antarctica—Great Stories From the Frozen Continent ithi “njengoba iNyakatho Nenkabazwe yayingaphansi komthala i-Arktos, iqoqo lezinkanyeni i-Bear, ngakho u-Aristotle (384-322 BC) waphetha ngokuthi izwe elingaziwa eliseningizimu kumelwe kuthiwe i-Antarktikos—ngamanye amazwi, okuphambene ngokuphelele”—noma i-antipode. Ngakho i-Antarctica ihlukile, ngoba empeleni yethiwa eminyakeni engu-2 000 ngaphambi kokuba itholakale!

Ngo-1772, umhloli wamazwe waseBrithani uKaputen’ uJames Cook wahamba ngomkhumbi efuna leli zwekazi eliseningizimu elalicatshangelwa. Wafika ezweni elineziqhingi ezinomoya obhenguzayo nezinguzunga ezinkulu zeqhwa, noma “iziqhingi zeqhwa,” njengoba azibiza kanjalo. Wabhala ukuthi “ezinye zazo zazicishe zibe yiziyingi ezingamakhilomitha amathathu futhi zingamamitha angu-20 ukuphakama, noma kunjalo amanzi olwandle ayezisibekela, ngenxa yamandla amagagasi.” Ngokuzimisela, uCook waqhubeka walibhekisa eningizimu, futhi ngo-January 17, 1773, umkhumbi wakhe, i-Resolution, nowawuhambisana nawo, i-Adventure, kwaba yimikhumbi yokuqala eyaziwayo eyanqamula i-Antarctic Circle. UCook wayehamba evika izintabakazi zeqhwa waze wafika kwangqingetshe ekugcineni. Encwadini yakhe wabhala ethi, “ngangingaboni lutho ngaseningizimu, kwakuyiqhwa kuphela.” Empeleni, kwakusele amakhilomitha angu-120 kuphela ukuba afike e-Antarctica lapho ebuyela emuva.

Ngakho-ke ubani owayibona kuqala i-Antarctica? Empeleni, ubani owalubhada khona kuqala? Kuze kube namuhla akekho onesiqiniseko. Kungenzeka ukuthi kwakungabadobi bemikhomo noma bezimvu zamanzi, ngoba lapho uCook ebuyela ekhaya, imibiko yakhe ethi kunezimvu zamanzi, izinguza (penguins), nemikhomo eminingi yabangela ukuba abazingeli baphuthume kule ndawo.

Igazi Eqhweni

Encwadini yakhe ethi The Fatal Impact, u-Alan Moorehead wabhala ukuthi uCook “wazithela emhlambini wezilwane zasendle okungenzeka ukuthi wawumkhulu ukuyedlula yonke emhlabeni, futhi wayengumuntu wokuqala owabikela abantu emhlabeni wonke ngokuba khona kwawo.” UMoorehead uthi: “Ezilwaneni zase-Antarctica, lokhu [kwaholela] ekuqothulweni kwazo.” Incwadi ethi Antarctica—Great Stories From the Frozen Continent ithi: “Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-18, ukuzingelwa kwezimvu zamanzi eningizimu nenkabazwe kwakufana ncamashí nokuphangelana ngegolide. AbaseChina nabaseYurophu abanganeliswa ababefuna izikhumba zezimvu zamanzi bashaya babhuqa ezindaweni [ezazikade] zaziwa njengezindawo zokuzingela izimvu zamanzi, kwabangela ukuba abazingeli bayofuna ezinye izizinda ezingakathintwa.”

Ngemva kokuba abazingeli bezimvu zamanzi sebecishe bayiqeda indlela yabo yokuziphilisa, abazingeli bemikhomo baqala ukuqothula izilwandle. UMoorehead uyabhala: “Akekho owaziyo ukuthi kwabulawa imikhomo noma izimvu zamanzi ezingaki olwandle oluseningizimu. Ingabe kwakuyizigidi eziyishumi noma ezingu-50? Ukubala akusizi; ukubulala kwaqhubeka zaze zaphela nyá izilwane ezizingelwayo.”

Nokho, manje imithetho yamazwe ngamazwe ivikela zonke izilwane nezitshalo zase-Antarctica. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukungabi bikho kwezilwane ezizingelayo kanye nenala yokudla kwasolwandle kwenza ugu lwase-Antarctica lube indawo efiselekayo ezilwaneni zasendle ngesikhathi sasehlobo. Kodwa i-Antarctica ibonisa izimpawu zokunye ukuhlasela okungathi sína, okungeke kulawulwe izivumelwano zamazwe ngamazwe.

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INYAKATHO NENINGIZIMU

Nakuba zifana ngandlela-thile, iNorth Pole neSouth Pole ‘ziyinyakatho neningizimu’ ngezindlela eziningi ngaphezu nje kwendawo ezikuyo. Cabangela okulandelayo.

Indawo ezungeze iNorth Pole iyiqhwa nolwandle kuphela, kanti iSouth Pole iseduze nenkaba yezwekazi lesihlanu ngobukhulu emhlabeni.

INorth Pole izungezwe amazwe anabantu baseMelika, base-Asia nabaseYurophu, kanti i-Antarctica izungezwe ulwandle oluwudedangendlale, oluyaluza kakhulu kule planethi.

Kunamashumi ezinkulungwane zemikhaya ahlala kuyi-Arctic Circle, futhi iyikhaya lezinkulungwane zezitshalo nezilwane. Nokho, akekho umuntu oyibiza ngekhaya i-Antarctica. Okuwukuphela kohlobo lokuphila lwemvelo olutholakala khona ulwelwe, ama-bacterium, ubulembu, izinhlobo ezimbili zezitshalo eziqhakaza izimbali nezinhlobo ezimbalwa zezinambuzane.

“I-Antarctica ibizwa ngokuthi izwekazi eliguquguqukayo,” kusho i-Encyclopædia Britannica, “ngenxa yokwakheka nokuncibilika kweqhwa okwenzeka minyaka yonke endaweni egudle ugu.” Uma likhithike kakhulu, leli qhwa liyanda lingene olwandle lize lifinyelele ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-1 600. Lokhu kwanda nokuncipha kuphindwe izikhathi eziyisithupha kuneqhwa lase-Arctic, okwenza i-Antarctica ibe nethonya elikhulu esimweni sezulu sembulunga yonke.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ATLANTIC OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

Drake Passage

James Ross Island

Larsen Ice Shelf

INHLONHLO YE-ANTARCTIC

Ronne Ice Shelf

Vinson Massif (intaba ephakeme kunazo zonke, engamamitha angu-4 897)

Ross Ice Shelf

Mt. Erebus (intaba-mlilo)

TRANSANTARCTIC MOUNTAINS

South Pole

Izinga lokubanda eliphansi kunawo wonke elake labikwa emhlabeni lalise-Antarctica—lalingu-89,2°C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa

0 500 km 500 miles

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U.S. Geological Survey

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Izinguza ezingama-“chinstrap” zibuthana enguzungeni yeqhwa engavamile eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka

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© 2000 Mark J. Thomas/Dembinsky Photo Assoc., Inc.

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Umkhomo i-“humpback”

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Izimvu zamanzi zaseningizimu

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ESouth Pole

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Photo: Commander John Bortniak, NOAA Corps

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IRoss Ice Shelf

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Michael Van Woert, NOAA NESDIS, ORA