Ubukhazikhazi Obungaphansi KweMigede YaseCarlsbad — Watchtower UMTAPO OKUYI-INTHANETHI

Ubukhazikhazi Obungaphansi KweMigede YaseCarlsbad

Kumnyama bhuqe futhi kuthule dú. Yilokho esahlangabezana nakho phansi ekujuleni kwemigede eseCarlsbad Caverns National Park eNew Mexico, e-U.S.A. Lapho singena kule migede, sasizibuza: ‘Yakheka kanjani le migede? Mikhulu kangakanani? Inaziphi izici ezingavamile? Ingabe kuphephile ukuyihlola?

NGAPHAMBI kohambo lokubuka imigede, iqembu lethu elincane lajabulela ukuhlala nokuqwala intaba eGuadalupe Mountains National Park eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeTexas. Ngesikhathi sikhuphuka iGuadalupe Peak, indawo ephakeme kunazo zonke eTexas engamamitha angu-2 666, sabona imivubukulo ihlobise amatshe kule ndlela. Izazi zokuma komhlaba zithi le mivubukulo inikeza umkhondo womsuka weMigede YaseCarlsbad. Kanjani?

Endulo, kubonakala sengathi ulele, ama-sponge neminenke kwakuchuma lapha. Yonke le ndawo yayiwulwandle olufudumele, olungaphakathi kwezwe. Ama-coral, ayisisekelo sezixhobo zanamuhla, ayeyivelakancane. Ezinye zezilwane zasolwandle ezingavamile zazihlanganisa ama-trilobite nama-ammonoid angasekho manje. Ama-ammonoid amaningi ayehlala emagobolondweni amakhulu, ashwilene nanamagumbi afana nalawo okuhlala kuwo i-nautilus namuhla. Sajabula ukubona elinye lalawo magobolondo linamathele edwaleni kule ndlela!

Kubonakala sengathi izixhobo ze-limestone zakheka lapho izinsalela zezilwane zasolwandle nezinye izinto kunqwabelana futhi kuhlangana ndawonye. Ngenxa yokuthi ulwandle lwajula, izixhobo zaba ugqinsi olungaphezu kwamamitha angu-500. Ekugcineni, ulwandle lwahlehla futhi izixhobo zagqitshwa inhlabathi. Esikhathini eside kamuva, kwaphakama indawo engaphansi, kwaguguleka inhlabathi futhi izixhobo zavumbuka njengezintaba. Pho, lokhu kuvumbuka kwakubaluleke kanjani ekwakhekeni kweMigede YaseCarlsbad?

Isisi, Amanzi, Umoya Ne-asidi

Njengoba amanzi emvula edlula emoyeni nasenhlabathini, aba ne-asidi encane ngokuthola isikhutha. Le asidi elula yiyo eyenza imigede ye-limestone eminingi emhlabeni. Nokho, ngokwesazi sokuma komhlaba uCarol Hill, i-asidi enamandla kakhulu yagubha imigede yeziNtaba ZaseGuadalupe.

UHill usikisela ukuthi isisi esinesibabule esiningi sakheka emithonjeni kawoyela emadwaleni angaphansi kwezixhobo ze-limestone. Lapho amadwala eqala ukuphakama, lesi sisi sangena ezixhotsheni futhi saxubana nomoya namanzi aphuma ngaphansi anomoya-mpilo sakha i-sulfuric acid. Le asidi enamandla yakwazi ukuncibilikisa ingxenye enkulu yamadwala e-limestone.

Njengoba izintaba ziphakama futhi indawo enamanzi incipha, imigede yambeka yajula kancane kancane. EMigedeni YaseCarlsbad, izikhala ezinkulu nemifantu evulekile kwahlangana, kwenza uxhaxha lwemihubhe. Kuye kwenziwa ibalazwe lemihubhe engamakhilomitha angu-37 lapha. Kodwa ayikuphela kwemihubhe engaphansi kwalezi zintaba. Kukhona eminye engamakhulu. Omkhulu kunayo yonke eyaziwayo uMgede iLechuguilla, onemihubhe engaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-160 eyaziwayo!

Imihlobiso Yemigede

Uma siqala ukungena eMigedeni YaseCarlsbad, sithatha ikheshi elishona phansi ibanga elingamamitha angu-225, lapho sifika khona eduze neBig Room. Lo mgodi omkhulu ungamahektare ayisithupha ububanzi. Ezindaweni ezithile, uphahla lwawo lungamamitha angaphezu kwangu-30 ukusuka phansi enhlabathini. Kodwa into eyasiheha kwakuyimihlobiso yemvelo eminingi ehlobise imigede yonke indawo, ekhanyiswa izibani ezifihliwe.

Le mihlobiso iyakhula noma kuphi lapho amanzi angena emigedeni ehwamuka khona, ashiye i-lime. Lapho amanzi eye aconsa khona njalo endaweni eyodwa ophahleni lomgede, kuye kwakheka imibhobho ecijile eshona ezansi ngamamitha ambalwa. Lezi zinti zokumunca isiphuzo, njengoba zibizwa kanjalo, ekugcineni zingase zivaleke zibe njengeqhwa elilengayo. Okunye, njengoba ilenga ngezansi kophahla olwehlelayo, le “mihlobiso elengayo” eshwilene igqamisa amanye amagumbi emigede abukeka njengenkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini.

Lapho amanzi econsela khona phansi, kungase kwakheke izinsika bese zikhuphuka. Lezi zinsika zeqhwa zingase zigcine zithinte ophahleni, mhlawumbe zihlangane neqhwa elilengayo ukuze zenze insika. Ezinye izinsika zeqhwa eHall of Giants ziye zakhula zaba ngaphezu kwamamitha angu-18 ukuphakama! Uma amanzi aconsayo econsela emibhobhweni emincane, izinhlayiyana zamadwala zingambozeka nge-limestone ecolisekile, kubangele amaparele omgede acwebezelayo. Kukhona ngisho nemihlobiso engavamile kwezinye izindawo. Ihlanganisa izixheke zamakristalu acijé njengenaliti kanye nemibhobho esontekile, enjengomsundu ekhula iye ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene.

Lapho sibuka amaqhwa amakhulu alenga ophahleni, sasizibuza ukuthi kungenzeka yini awe adale ingozi. Umqondisi wethu wasiqinisekisa ukuthi le mihlobiso yemigede ayivamile ukuwa. Sathemba ukuthi kuzoba njalo naphakathi nokuvakasha kwethu!

Indawo Ezungeze Imigede

Ngemva kokujabulela ukudla ngaphandle, sehlela emigedeni ngomnyango wayo ongokwemvelo—umgodi othile ovulekile. Imidwebo esemadwaleni eyadwetshwa amaNdiya aseMelika asendulo ihlobise udonga lwendawo yokungena.

Lapho singena, sezwa iphunga lesitibhili selulwane. Sathola ukuthi cishe kusukela ekhulwini leminyaka edlule isitibhili sasithathwa kwenziwe ngaso umquba. Kamuva, ibhakede nendophi okwakukhishwa ngakho isitibhili kwaba ikheshi lokuqala lokufaka nokukhipha izivakashi emigedeni. Isitibhili sitholakala emhubheni oseceleni owaziwa ngokuthi uMgede Wamalulwane—okuhlala kuwo izigidi zamalulwane ehlobo. Uma sekuhwalala, ayandiza aphume emgedeni ngezinkulungwane.

Abagcini baleli paki basichazela ukuthi le migede intekenteke kakhulu. Izivakashi ezingabantu ezingena kule migede zingayilimaza noma ziyingcolise kalula. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuthinta nje imihlobiso yasemigedeni kungashiya amafutha kuyo, kuyenze ingabe isaqhubeka ikhula futhi kubangele ukuba ishintshe umbala. Ngakho sagcina kuleyo migudu emisiwe futhi sakugwema ukuthinta izinto ezakheke ngaphakathi emigedeni.

Njengoba sasiphuma kulesi simangaliso semvelo esisekusithekeni, sacabanga ngokubuya sizobona eminye imigede. Singathanda ukubona amalulwane endiza—sekuyisikhathi eside kakhulu ejabulela le migede kunezivakashi ezingabantu. Kodwa abantu yibo abaphuma kule migede benomuzwa ophikelelayo wokumangala.—Inikelwe.

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Ngenhla: Iqhwa elilengayo elingamadluladlulane elikhanyayo

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Ngezansi: Ukubona iBig Room

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