Okwenza Sibizwe Ngokuthi IsiQhingi Esikhulu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EHAWAII

LAPHO abantu becabanga ngeziqhingi zaseHawaii, yini efika ezingqondweni zabo? Mhlawumbe ugu olunesihlabathi esimhlophe, amanzi acwebile, izihlahla zikakhukhunathi eziyendayendayo, nobusuku obufudumele ngaphansi kovulandi abakhanyiswe ngezibani ezincane. Yibe usunezela isidlo sasePolynesia esinophayinaphu, i-poi, i-salmon ebizwa ngokuthi i-lomilomi, kanye nengulube okuthiwa i-kalua, futhi cishe sekuchazwe konke. Ubani obengafuna okungaphezu kwalokhu?

Empeleni eHawaii, abantu abaningi bajabulela okuningi ngaphezu kwalokhu. Okokuqala nje, isiqhingi saseHawaii sibizwa ngokuthi isiQhingi Esikhulu ngoba uma ubungathatha ezinye iziqhingi ezinkulu zaseHawaii—ezinjenge-Oahu, iMaui, neKauai—uzifake zonke esiQhingini Esikhulu, bezinganela! Lesi siqhingi esimangalisayo singamakhilomitha-skwele angu-10 432 futhi sisanda. Kodwa sizokhuluma ngalokho kamuva.

Indawo Esikuyo Nesimo Sezulu

Ngenxa yokuthi siseningizimu kunazo zonke ezinye, isiQhingi Esikhulu sinesimo sezulu esipholile. Izinga lokushisa elivamile emini ezindaweni zezivakashi ezingasogwini liyashintshashitsha kusukela kuma-degree Celsius angaba ngu-30 ehlobo (ngo-May kuya ku-October) kuya kwangaba ngu-20 ebusika (ngo-November kuya ku-April), futhi amazinga aphansi kakhulu asebusuku aphakathi kuka-15 kuya ku-18 degree Celsius avamile. Ngokuvamile, esifundeni saseKona, esingasohlangothini lwalesi siqhingi olufulathele umoya, lihlala libalele, kanti endaweni yaseHilo, esohlangothini olunomoya ovunguzayo, kuhlale kunezimvula.

Isimo sezulu esishisayo nomhlabathi oshisayo wentaba-mlilo kusenza sibe yindawo enhle yokutshala inqwaba yezithelo nemifino. Kunenqwaba kamango omnandi, upopo, ama-litchi, nezinye izithelo ezingavamile, kuhlanganise nama-orchid nama-anthurium amahle. Izihlahla zamantongomane okuthiwa ama-Macadamia nezekhofi zikhula kahle. Ikhofi laseKona lidume emhlabeni wonke. Abadayisi bekhofi batheleka ngezinkani emkhosini waminyaka yonke okuthiwa iKona Coffee Festival ukuze balinambithe futhi balithenge.

IsiQhingi Esikhulu sinezindawo ezinesimo sezulu esihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nehlathi lemvula, ugwadule, nezimfunda. Amahlathi emvula atholakala ngasempumalanga, ingxenye yalesi siqhingi enezimvula. Izinyoni eziningi ezinemibalabala zitholakala kule ndawo, kuhlanganise nezihlahla zohlinzamfuku nezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zama-orchid. Ngokuvamile kuna imvula engaba amasentimitha angu-25 ngonyaka esifundeni saseKona-Kohala kuya kwengamasentimitha angaphezu kuka-250 endaweni yaseHilo ngonyaka.

IKilauea—Intaba-mlilo Esaqhuma Kodwa Engeyona Ingozi

Kunezintaba-mlilo ezinhlanu ezihlukene kulesi siqhingi—iMauna Loa, iMauna Kea, iKilauea, iKohala neHualalai. Igama elithi Kilauea ngokwezwi nezwi lisho “Ukuyokoza Kakhulu.” Ngo-1979, iKilauea yavuka lapho iqhuma ngamandla. Kusukela ngo-1983 ibilokhu ikhipha udaka olushisayo ingaphezi. Isiqothule amadolobhana amathathu angasogwini kodwa yadala amahektare amaningi endawo entsha.

Lapho lolu daka lungena olwandle luhlokoma futhi luhaza, kuqubuka isitimu nentuthu enkulu kanye namafu nogu olunesihlabathi esimnyama. Ngokuvamile iKilauea ingabukelwa eduze ngokuphephile futhi ngezinye izikhathi iye yachazwa njengewukuphela “kwentaba-mlilo ongangena kuyo” emhlabeni.

Intaba-mlilo eseyafa, iMauna Kea, engamamitha angu-4 205 ukuphakama, iyintaba ephakeme kunazo zonke kulesi siqhingi, ingaphezudlwana kweMauna Loa, engamamitha angu-4 169 ukuphakama. Kodwa, uma ilinganiswa kusuka ematheni ayo ogwini, iMauna Kea iyintaba ephakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni, ingamamitha angaphezu kuka-9 000 kusukela ekujuleni kolwandle. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iMauna Loa ibizwa ngokuthi intaba enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, ngobukhulu obungaba ama-cubic kilometer angu-40 000!

Izinto Ezikhangayo Ezinhlobonhlobo

Ebusika, livame ukukhithika eMauna Kea, ngakho ivumelana negama layo lokuteketisa elithi iNtabamhlophe. Ezinye izakhamuzi zishwibeka eqhweni, nakuba ukwenza lokho kuyingozi ngenxa yamagquma anamadwala. Okwamanje, izibona-kude ezingu-13 ezinamandla kakhulu emhlabeni, ezivela emazweni angaba ngu-11, zibekwe esiqongweni sayo eMauna Kea Science Reserve.

Kunezinto eziningi zokuzijabulisa ngasogwini lwesiQhingi Esikhulu. Imidlalo yamanzi ingajatshulelwa unyaka wonke ngenxa yokuthi umoya nolwandle kuhlala kuthokomele. Ogwini kunezindawo zezivakashi ezithandwayo ezinesihlabathi esimhlophe nogu okungafinyeleleki kalula kulo, ngaphandle uma uhamba ngezinyawo noma ngezimoto ezidonsa ngawo wonke amasondo.

IsiQhingi Esikhulu sibusiswe ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene—ngobukhulu, indawo esikuyo, isimo sezulu nokwakheka kwaso. Uyothola ukuthi abantu bakhona banobungane futhi bayakhathalela, kanti bayakujabulela ukubonisa umoya omuhle waseHawaii wokungenisa izihambi.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

NIIHAU

KAUAI

OAHU

HONOLULU

MOLOKAI

MAUI

LANAI

KAHOOLAWE

HAWAII

Hilo

Kohala

Mauna Kea

Hualalai

Mauna Loa

Kilauea

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

IMauna Kea ngemuva

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

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