Isakhiwo esikhulu esisaqanda esitholakala e-Antarctica: Umlando kufanele ubhalwe kabusha!

Enye yezindawo ezingaqondakali kakhulu eMhlabeni yi-Antarctica, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokungabikho kwabantu futhi ngenxa yokuthi iziyaluyalu kanye nezakhiwo ezingajwayelekile, okungenzeka ukuthi zenziwe umuntu zivame ukutholakala ezikhuluma ngedlule elehluke kakhulu ezwenikazi elimhlophe, isikhathi esidlule umlando kucatshangelwe.

Isakhiwo esikhulu esisaqanda esitholakala e-Antarctica: Umlando kufanele ubhalwe kabusha! 1
Umbono womculi wokuthi idolobha lase-Antarctica libukeka kanjani. © Isikweletu: David Demaret

NgoJanuwari 2012, the I-GeoEye-1 Satellite wathwebula isakhiwo esikhulu, esingaba sokwenziwa ezweni elineqhwa lase-Antarctica. Uma uthi nhlá isakhiwo esiyinqaba esimise okweqanda singahlukaniswa njengezinsalela zesakhiwo esikhulu noma ngisho nenqaba yasendulo, njengalezo ezikhona emhlabeni.

Kungenzeka ukuthi impucuko yasendulo yayihlala e-Antarctica lapho ingenaqhwa? Ubufakazi buthi yebo, kungenzeka. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuye kwatholakala ngisho nezitshalo ezisamathambo, okubonisa ukuthi eminyakeni eyizigidi edlule, le ndawo eneqhwa yayinesinye isimo sezulu, esifudumele futhi iyindawo efanelekayo yokuphila kwezitshalo, ngisho nezilwane; pho kungani kungenzeki kubantu basendulo?

Inqaba enkulu e-Antarctica?

Izithombe zesathelayithi zembule isakhiwo, ngokwabanye osolwazi, esibukeka njengenqaba yenkathi ephakathi, noma inqaba ethile lapho amalungu empucuko yasendulo noma ngisho nezinhlobo zezilwane ezingaziwa ezafika eMhlabeni esikhathini esidlule zingaphephela khona.

Isakhiwo esikhulu esisaqanda esitholakala e-Antarctica: Umlando kufanele ubhalwe kabusha! 2
Isakhiwo esimise okweqanda (esokwenziwa) esitholakala e-Antarctica. © Ikhredithi Yesithombe: Google Maps

Isakhiwo sokwenziwa okungenzeka esimise okweqanda esitholakala e-Antarctica. Ikhredithi Yesithombe: Google Maps

Kumelwe kushiwo ukuthi uma kuyisakhiwo sokwenziwa ngempela, lokhu kungabangela umlando ubhalwe kabusha ― udaba olubonisa izazi-mlando kanye nezazi ezivamile, ngokungangabazeki. Ingabe lesi yisizathu esenza ukuthi izinto eziningi ezitholakele ezimangalisayo (njengalesi) zingaqhutshekisiwe futhi zishiywe zikhohliwe?

Ngeshwa ngenxa yokuthi kuyi-Antarctica, abacwaningi abazimele abangadalula iqiniso elingakhululekile emhlabeni abakwazi ukufinyelela ukuphenya ngale kwalokho ikhompuyutha ene-Google Earth ebavumela ukuba bakwenze. Ngakho-ke, singabona kuphela izithombe zesathelayithi, kwezinye izimo zifiphalisiwe noma zilungiswe ngesizathu esisodwa noma esinye.

Kuyafaneleka futhi ukucacisa ukuthi lokho okubonakala ezithombeni kungase kube nezimbangela zemvelo, okungenzeka kushiywe ukuncibilika kweqhwa noma esinye isizathu. Abanye ochwepheshe bakholelwa ukuthi imane iyisibonelo esiphelele seSastrugi, indawo eneqhwa eveza ukungahambi kahle kokuma kwezwe, okuklanywe ngemisele ecijile nengajwayelekile. Akhiwa ukuguguleka komoya, usawoti wezinhlayiya zeqhwa kanye nokuqothuka kweqhwa eliwayo, ezindaweni ezipholile nezipholile.

Lesi akusona isakhiwo sokuqala esiyinqaba esitholakala e-Antarctica (futhi mhlawumbe akusona esokugcina). Inqwaba yalokhu kutholwa emashumini ambalwa eminyaka adlule. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi kufihlwe impucuko eyimfihlo, elahlekile ngaphansi kweqhwa laphakade lase-Antarctica elidala amarekhodi omlando?