Isithombe - Ucwaningo lwaseBrithani lwe-Antarctic
Uma kungenjalo kudala sakutshela lokho ukuqhekeka okwesabekayo kwakwakhiwe kuLarsen C Platform, ezwenikazi i-Antarctic, kulokhu sikulethela okungenzeka kube ngenye yezindaba zakamuva ngaleli shelufu elikhulu leqhwa.
Ukuphuka kwayo manje sekusondele kunanini ngaphambili: amakhilomitha ayi-13 kuphela, ngemuva kokuthi inwetshwe elinye i-17km phakathi kukaMeyi 25-31, ngokusho kokubona okuvela kuphrojekthi ye-MIDAS.
Abaphenyi u-Adrian Luckman noMartin O'Leary bakhombise uMeyi 31 ku blog kusuka kuphrojekthi ye-MIDAS ukuthi ichopho lokuqhekeka lase liphenduke kakhulu laya ngaphambili kweqhwa, okubonakala kukhombisa ukuthi isikhathi sokuqhekeka sisondele kakhulu. Ngaleso sizathu, iqhwa elikhulu kunawo wonke emashumini eminyaka amuva nje lizoba khona.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, kulinganiselwa ukuthi ingaba nendawo ye Amakhilomitha skwele. Uma kuqhathaniswa, isiqhingi saseMallorca (iBalearic Islands, eSpain), sine-3.640km2, futhi ngikholwe, mina engihlala kuso ngingasho ukuthi sikhulu kakhulu. Kuthatha ihora nemizuzu engamashumi amabili ukuhamba usuka esiqeshini esiseningizimu yesiqhingi, eSes Salines Lighthouse, uye esiqongweni esisenyakatho (iPollensa), cishe esingama-85km.
Ngakho, iLarsen C Platform ingalahlekelwa ngaphezu kwe-10% yendawo yayo yamanje. Kepha ngaphezu kwalokho, abacwaningi abaphikisi ukuthi ukwakheka kweqhwa kubangela ukuwohloka kweqhwa kwamanani amakhulu, njengoba kwenzeka ngo-2002 ngokuwohloka ngokoqobo kweLarsen B Platform.
Lonke leli qhwa belizophelela olwandle, lenze izinga likhuphuke. Kuncane kakhulu, yebo, kepha njengoba iplanethi ifudumala, ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka abantu abaphila kwiPlanethi yoMhlaba bangaphoqeleka ukuba benze amamephu amasha.