I-Antarctica iyizwekazi elibandayo kangangokuba bambalwa kakhulu abantu abake balivakashela, futhi bambalwa kakhulu ababeke unyawo kwelinye lamaqhwa alo: Thwaites. etholakala engxenyeni esentshonalanga yezwekazi. Omunye wabambalwa abanenhlanhla nguKnut Christianson, isazi se-glaci eYunivesithi yaseWashington (e-United States), ozinikele ekuyifundeleni ukuze abikezele imiphumela yokuncibilika kwayo emhlabeni wonke.
Lokho akutholile kuze kube manje kubonakala kufana nendaba ye-apocalyptic kunokwangempela, kepha iqiniso ukuthi kunika okuningi okufanele ucabange ngakho. Futhi kungukuthi, »uma kuzoba nenhlekelele yesimo sezulu, kungenzeka ukuthi iqale kumaThwaites"Ubikezela u-Ian Howat, isazi seqhwa sase-Ohio. Kodwa kungani?
Iqhwa lase-Antarctica liyancibilika njengendlu yamakhadi, okungukuthi, lokho Uhlala uzinzile uze ucindezelwe. Yize kuyinqubo engeke yenzeke ngobusuku obubodwa, emashumini eminyaka ukulahleka kweqhwa lamaThwaites kuzodambisa iqhwa lonke engxenyeni esentshonalanga yezwekazi. Uma sengikwenzile, izobeka engcupheni bonke abahlala emakhilomitheni angama-80 ogwini, okusho ukuthi, ingxenye yabantu emhlabeni.
Izinga lolwandle lingakhuphuka cishe izingxenye ezintathu ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, futhi lize lifike kwezine kwezinye ezinjengeNew York noma iBoston.
Kuze kube nini lokhu kwenzeka? Izwekazi leli belijwayele ukulala, kodwa “manje liyahamba,” kusho uMark Serreze, umqondisi we-US National Snow and Ice Data Center. Ngo-2002 kwancibilika ithala leqhwa laseLarsen B. Ukunyamalala kwayo kusizile izinguzunga zeqhwa ezingemuva kwayo ukugeleza zingene olwandle ngesivinini esiphindwe kasishiyagalombili kunakuqala. Kungenzeka ukuthi i- Ipulatifomu kaLarsen C. bahlupheka ngokufanayo, ngoba iveza ukuqhekeka kwamakhilomitha angama-160.
Ngokusho kokulingisa kuka-Eric Rignot we-NASA no-Ian Joughin wase-University of Washington, le nqubo efanayo yokususa uzinzo isivele iyaqhubeka eqhweni laseThwaites.
Ukuze wazi okwengeziwe, ungachofoza lapha.