Isayentsi Eseseyincanizana
Amatshwayo angakajayeleki wejiyoliji ye-Vredefort Dome abonwa bososayentsi msinyana ngabo 1878. Kukhona okuthileko okuqakathekileko okwakhe kwenzeka kulesifunda, kodwana akekho ogade angavuma bona khuyini leyo eyenzekako. Ngalesi isikhathi, ijiyoloji kwakuyisayentsi egade iseseyincani begodu namandla angezelelweko webethano ngamandla le-terrestrial bekangakarhabi ukuzwisiswa kuhle. Ukuya phambili, ama-crater wemvelo (nofana i-astrobleme) bekambeswe ziinrhirirhiri kancani begodu ne-dome beyirhurhuleke khulu. Eminyakeni eyikhululumnyaka elandelako, ukuphambana kwemibono malungana nemvelaphi ye-Vredefort dome yazala khulu.
Umqabango ongakaqinisekiswa ovezwa kubonakala kwezinto ezikhona obegade wamukelwa khulu, bekungiloyo oveza bona i-Dome yabunjwa yintaba evutha umlilo ekulu eyathuthumbako kusekela ngaphasi emathumbini wePhasi. Lokhu bekuzokuhlathulula amalarha wamatje egade aqale phezulu, ama-granite wemandulo egade ayephezulu kunye nokubakhona kwamarhalasi wamatje ancibilikileko. Kodwana igandeleleko elenziwa kuthuthumba kwangaphakathi akhange lihlathulule koke ukoneka kwejamo kunye nokufiphaza kwejiyoloji ye-dome. Nokunjalo, umqondo ongakaqinisekiswa wesayentsi odume khulu we-‘crypto-volcanism’ (imisebenzi yentaba evutha umlilo yemihlobo engaziwako) wathathwa njengeqiniso.
Akukho Okukatelelekileko Okungajamisela Okhunye
Umrararo bekukobana, ngelesi isikhathi, bekungekho okukatelelekileko ekugade kungajamela okhunye. Isayentsi yelwazi leenkwekwezi belisathoma ukuvezwa lisuselwa kwezinye iinkulumo ezifihliweko, begodu abantu bebangakafi ukuyokuvakatjhela eenkwekwezini ukuyokutholwa ilwazi ngamaplanethi. Omunye umraro godu bekukobana ama-astroblemes amadala amanengi besele agubhelekile, atjhugululwa yikambiso yejiyoloji, begodu kubudisi bona angatholwa.
Njengomphumela, ukuhlakanipha okujayelekileko akhange kwaqabanga bona kunerhono lokobana ukubethana ngamandla okukhulu okungezeleweko kwe-terrestrial namanye ama-craters abonakala khulu ePhasini bekuqatjangwa bona abangelwa mamandla wangaphakathi. Nama-gaping craters wenyezini nawo bekuqatjangwa bona abangelwa miphumela yentaba evuthako (okukhabe kuliqaniso kancani).
Bekungo-1892 lokha usojiyoloji ohlonitjhwa khulu, obizwa ngo-Grove Karl Gilbert, akhupha iphepha eliphakamisa bona ama-craters wenyezini abangelwa kubethana kwama-asteroid. Abososayentsi abanye abambalwa nabo bakhupha amaphepha aqitjhe afana naleli. Kwabese, nakuphela iikhulumnyaka, usomabhizinisi we-America waqalisisa i-crater encani kodwana eyaziwa khulu etholakala erhalawumba ye-Arizona.
U-Daniel Berringer
Indodale, ebizwa ngo-Daniel Berringer, yahlahluba amasampula wamatje awathatha ku-crater elila ebumbeke njengesigosi, ngalesikha isikhathi beyaziwa nge-Coon Butte, begodu wawathola amumethe umhlobo ongakajayeleki we-nickel-iron. Wathoma ukukholwa bona amaminerali bekayigcenye yama-meteorite (abizwa nge-‘Canyon Diablo’) awela ePhasi, abumba i-crater enobubanzi obulingana na 1.2km embeleka ngaphasi kwe-crater.Amano ka-Berringer ahlakaniphileko bekukobana agubhe i-crater abese ukhipha i-nickel. Kwakumamano abulula, njengombana kwabonakala, kodwana wayenganaqiniso elipheleleko.
U-Berringer nabatjalimmali bakhe bathenga i-crater bafaka nemali enengi yama-dollar emisebenzini wokumayina. Ngebhadi, akhenge bathole i-nickel egade bangayithengisa ukuze bathole imali. Kubonakala ngathi i-Canyon Diablo meteorite yancibilika lokha nakunebethano ngamandla, yatjhiya ngemuva amatswayo amancani we-iron core yayo. Nomakunjalo, ngo 1906, u-Barringer nalabo asebenza nabo balungiselela iripoti emayelana nebethano ngamandla lemvelaphi ye-crater bebayinikela negama elitjha, i-Meteor Crater. Nangaphandle kokuwa komsebenzi wokomayina, umndeni wakwa-Barringer wathatha i-crater kwaba ngeyabo begodu kwanjesi sekuyindawo edumileko yabavakatjhi, kwesinye isikhathi ebizwa nge-Barringer Crater ukuhlonipha ubukutani bakhe.
Ukudoseleka Kukulomopikiswano
Ukugandelela kwaka-Berringer ngemvelaphi yebethano ngamandla kwadosela i-Meteor Crater amehlo begodu abososayentsi bathoma barhubhulula eminye imakhiwo efana nalena ephasini mazombe. Kiyoyoke iminyaka yabo 1920s neyabo 30s, abarhubhululi (esikhathi esinengi egade basebenza bodwa) bakhiqiza amaphepha aphakamisa imvelaphi yebethano ngamandla le-lunar kunye nama-terrestrial craters. Ngakelinye ihlangothi, ikampa yama- cryptovolcanic bekusaphethe yona begodu isaragela phambili ngokukhiqiza irhubhululo elisekela umqabango yabo engakaqinisekiswa evezwa kubonakala kwezinto ezikhona. I-Vredefort Dome nayo ngokungagegedeki yadoseleka kukulumopikiswano.
Ngabo 1940s, izinto zathoma zatjhuguluka. Iincwadi ezimbili zakhutjhwa, i-‘Between the Planets’ kunye ne-‘The Face of the Moon’, ezazalisa umqabango wokobana ama-lunar craters enziwa kubethana ngamandla kwe-meteor. Ngo 1946, irhelo eliveza ama-meteorite craters aqinisekisiweko ePhasini lakhitjhwa. Zaziyi 10 kwaphela, kufaka hlangana i-Meteor Crater, begodu zoke bezimumethe iincephu ze-meteorite yamambala ukuze zibaliwe. Kodwana isenzwesi sathola idumo.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana