Isithombe - NASA
Ngendawo engaba amakhilomitha-skwele angama-5.000, ishalofu leqhwa elaziwa njengeLarsen C ice shelf selizophuka. Ukwephuka sekuvele kube cishe yi-110km ubude, i-100m ububanzi futhi cishe kube ngu-500m ukujula, futhi njengoba iThe Week likhombisa, kubonakala sengathi lihlanganiswe ngentambo yeqhwa.
Ososayensi balindele ukuthi ichithe ngokuphelele ezinyangeni ezizayo. Kodwa kungani?
Iqhwa lase-Antarctica linamathele eshalofini laleli zwekazi, hhayi emanzini njengase-Arctic. Ngokwalesi sizathu, lapho ulwandle lukhuphuka emhlabeni jikelele. ILarsen Ice Shelf, etholakala ngasogwini olusempumalanga ye-Antarctica, isebenza njengesitsha sezinguzunga zeqhwa. Ngeshwa, izingxenye zeLarsen A ne-B sezivele zinganakiwe, ngo-1995 nango-2002 ngokulandelana.
Ngokwezibalo zesayensi, uma onke amaqhwa ebenganqamuka olwandle angakhuphuka cishe ngamasentimitha ayi-10. Kungazwakala njengokuningi, kepha bonke labo abahlala ogwini bazoqala ukuba nezinkinga eziningi.
Njengoba izinga lokushisa eliphakathi komhlaba likhuphuka, iqhwa e-Antarctica liyancibilika, okwenza isimo sibe sibi kakhulu. Mayelana nalokhu, ngokusho kwe- Ucwaningo lwemagazini i-Nature, olwenziwe ngabaphenyi uRobert M. DeConto, ovela eMnyangweni Wezejiyosayensi eNyuvesi yaseMassachusetts (e-United States), noDavid Pollard wasePennsylvania State Institute (e-United States), ngonyaka wama-2100 izinga lamanzi lingakhuphuka ngaphezu kwemitha elilodwa.
Uma nje kuncishiswa ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa, i-thaw ingaba nomthelela omncane kakhulu ekukhuphukeni kolwandle, kusho uSolwazi DeConto.
ILarsen Ice Barrier, e-Antarctica.
Sizoqhubeka nokwazisa.