I-Target: Earth
Ngeminyaka yabo 1950s, incwadi ebizwa nge-‘Target: Earth’ yakhutjhwa lapho umtloli aphakamisa khona bona ama-dinosaurs aphela ephasini ngonobangela wokubethana ngamandla kwe-meteorite ekulu. Ngo-1959, u-Robert Dietz wahlolisisa iindawo ezimbalwa zama-‘crypto-explosion’ bewathola ama- shattercones kokuthoma. U-Dietz wabonela phambili bona ama-shattercones azokutholakala e-Vredefort Dome, nangambala ahlathululwa ngusojiyoloji weSewula Afrika ngonyaka olandelako. U-Dietz waregela phambili wakhomba ama-shattercones emakhiweni omkhulu we-Sudbury e-Canada.
Eminyekeni yoke yabo 50s, umlandelande weentjengiso zelabholatri lapho ama-projectiles bekaphoswa kuma-targets ukutjengisa ukuqhulana kwangezelela ubufakazi bokubethana ngamandla egade kuphikiswana ngakho. Ukuhlolisisa kwe-nuclear nakho kwadlala indima ekulu, lokha abososayentsi bathola bona amandla akhutjhwa mabhomu anamandla ancibilikisa amatje amagegana nayo begodu enza nokutjhogeka kwe-metamorphics, okufana nalokha ekutholakala kuma-craters.
I-Astro-Geologist
Ngabo 1960s, amadoda aya esibhakabhakeni (space) bekathoma nokuthatha iinthombe zesathalayithi zehlelo lenyezi yephasi (earth-moon) system. Lokhu kwakhulisa imiqondo yabososayentsi nabantu besitjhaba ngokunjalo. Ngesikhathi sinye, umqhuqhuzeli wama-‘astro-geologist’ obizwa ngo-Gene Shoemaker wenza ukuhlolisisa okuzeleko kwejiyoloji kwama-Meteor Crater. Wabese ulinganisa lokhu akutholileko nehlolisiso lezinye iindawo ezaziwako zeentaba ezivutha umlilo (volcano).
Umehluko oqakathekile awutholako ekugcineni wababufakazi bokobana i-Meteor Crater yabangelwa kubethana ngamandla okuthile ingasi yintaba evutha umlilo, i-cryptic nofana enye indlela. Ngemva kwalokho waragela phambili ngokuthuthukisa umcabango we-impact science, waphakamisa bona izehlakalo zebathano ngamandla zingabangela ukutjhuguluka okukhulu kwejiyoloji ephasini, nokobana izehlakalo zebethano ngamandla ngokumedanisa zenzeka khudlwana ephasini loke kunye nezulu (universe).
U-Shoemaker wabuye wafundisa ama-astronauts nge-Apollo moon missions, ngemakhiwo ye-crater bewabatjela nokobana bahlale bakhuphe amehlo baqale amatje akarisako we-lunar. Imihlobo yamatje ebabuya nawo ukusuka enyezini atjengisa ukutjhogeka kokonakala kwejamo okufana nalokha okutholakala ephasini, begodu kwarhelebha ekutheni kuqede ukuphikisana nge-lunar. Namhlanjesi, u-Shoemaker waziwa khulu njengegcenye yesiqhema se- eponymous esaveza i- comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, eyabethaka emoyeni we-Jupiter ngo 1994, ngemiphumela erarako. U-Gene Shoemaker wahlongakala ngo 1997 begodu umlotha wakhe wathunyelwa enyezini nge- Lunar Prospector probe. Ngebhadi, i-probe yabetheka engaphasini lenyezi, okuyinto egade ingathabisa iqhegweli kwamambala.
Ilwazi Elivelako
Ngokuqhuqhuzelwa lilwazeli elivelako ngezehlakalo zebethano ngamandla, abososayentsi ephasini mazombe bathoma bahlolisisa ama-craters (afana ne- Nördlinger Ries Crater e-Germany). Ngokubuyelela kanengi, bathola ama-shattercones, amatje ancibilikileko, ukutjhogeka kwe-metamorphics naminye imakhiwo yebethano ngamandla, egade ibaliwe ngaphezulu. Irhelo lebethano ngamandla lama-craters aqinisekisiweko liyakhula ngesikhathi abalandeli be-cryptovolcanism behla.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana