ITotten Glacier inkulu kunazo zonke empumalanga ye-Antarctica futhi ukuncibilika kwawo kuyashesha ngenxa yemimoya eyanda eSouth Ocean. Ngokufudumala kwembulunga yonke, amakhemikhali asezindaweni ezibandayo ancibilika ngezinga elikhulayo futhi uma singeza kulokhu imimoya ebayisa emanzini afudumele, ukuncibilika kwabo kuzokwenzeka ngokushesha.
Ngabe ufuna ukwazi isimo seTotten Glacier?
I-glacier Totten iyancibilika ngokushesha
Uhlelo lwe-Antarctic yase-Australia luqhubeka nokuqapha isimo seqhwa lase-Antarctic. Inguzunga yeqhwa iTotten yiyona enkulu kunazo zonke empumalanga ye-Antarctica futhi ukuncibilika kwayo kuya ngokuya kudume, ngenxa ye- imimoya iya phezulu futhi idlulela emanzini afudumele asogwini lwase-Antarctic angena ngaphansi kwengxenye entantayo yeqhwa.
Ukungena okuqhubekayo kwamanzi afudumele engxenyeni entantayo yeqhwa kwenza kuncibilike ngokushesha. Lesi siphetho sisekelwe ekuhlanganisweni kwezithombe zesathelayithi, idatha yomoya, nokubhekwa kwezilwandle. Kuyacaca ukuthi ingxenye engezansi incibilika ngokushesha futhi isheshisa kanjani ukuhamba kweqhwa elibheke olwandle.
“Umsebenzi wethu unikeza ubufakazi bokuxhumana kwemishini ku- ukudluliswa kokushisa kusukela emkhathini olwandle kuya eqhweni, "kusho omunye wabaphenyi, uDavid Gwyther, wase-University of Tasmania, esitatimendeni.
Ngenxa yokuguquka kwesimo sezulu, ijubane lemimoya liyashintsha oLwandle oluseNingizimu futhi lokhu kubikezelwa ukuthi kuzokwanda ngokwengeziwe, ngakho-ke, inguzunga yeqhwa iTotten izoncibilika ngokushesha, kube nomthelela ekukhuleni komhlaba wonke olwandle.
Umoya onamandla namanzi afudumele
Izici ezinomthelela ekuncibilikeni kwezinguzunga zeqhwa ukushisa komoya namanzi. Ezikhathini lapho umoya unamandla amakhulu, amanzi angaphezulu ayahamba bese kufakwa amanye amanzi ajulile futhi afudumele, ukuze kuthi lapho kuthinta izinguzunga zeqhwa, kusheshise ukuncibilika kwawo.
Inguzunga yeqhwa idonsa amakhilomitha-skwele angama-538.000 empumalanga ye-Antarctica futhi ulahla amathani ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-70.000 eqhwa minyaka yonke, ngokusho kwe-Australian Antarctic Division note.