Umfanekiso - iNASA
Ngommandla omalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-5.000 zesikwere, iishelufu zomkhenkce ezaziwa ngokuba yiLarsen C umkhenkce osele uza kuqhawuka. Ukuqhekeka sele kumalunga ne-110km ubude, i-100m ububanzi kwaye malunga ne-500m ubunzulu, kwaye njengoko iVeki ibonisa, kubonakala ngathi ibanjelwe umsonto womkhenkce.
Izazinzulu zilindele ukuba zichithe ngokupheleleyo kwiinyanga ezizayo. Kodwa kutheni?
Umkhenkce wase-Antarctica uqhotyoshelwe kwishelufa lelizwekazi, hayi emanzini njengase-Arctic. Ngesi sizathu, xa amanqanaba olwandle enyuka kwihlabathi jikelele. ILarsen Ice Shelf, ebekwe kunxweme olusempuma yeAntarctica, isebenza njengesiqulatho seengqimba zomkhenkce. Ngelishwa, amacandelo eLarsen A kunye no-B sele ebanjiwe, ngo-1995 nango-2002 ngokwahlukeneyo.
Ngokwezibalo zesayensi, ukuba wonke umkhenkce ubunokuqhawuka kumphakamo wolwandle unganyuka malunga neesentimitha ezili-10. Isenokungavakali ngathi ininzi, kodwa bonke abo bahlala elunxwemeni baya kuqala ukuba neengxaki ezininzi.
Njengokuba ubushushu behlabathi buthetha ukunyuka, umkhenkce e-Antarctica uyanyibilika, nto leyo eyenza imeko ibe mandundu. Kule meko, ngokwefayile ye- Isifundo semagazini yendalo, olwenziwe ngabaphandi uRobert M. DeConto, ovela kwiSebe leGeosciences kwiYunivesithi yaseMassachusetts (eUnited States), kunye noDavid Pollard wasePennsylvania State Institute (United States), ngo-2100 inqanaba lamanzi linokunyuka ngaphezulu kwemitha enye.
Kanye ukuba kuncitshiswa ukukhutshwa kwegesi yendalo eluhlaza, inyibilikisi iya kuba negalelo elincinci kakhulu ekunyukeni kolwandle, utshilo uNjingalwazi uDeConto.
Umqobo weLarsen Ice Bar, eAntarctica.
Siza kuqhubeka nokwazisa.