Amandla Amakhulu
Njengombana i-Vredefort bolide yaphoseka ephasini, ibelo layo belingaba seduze nahlangana na40 000 kunye ne270 000 amakhilomitha qobe i-awara. Nayibetha phasi, amandla amakhulu aphuma ngaleso isikhathi ngokuthuthumba okukhulu okwadlula u-Little Boy ngamandla aphindwaphindwe kayi5000, ekuyibhomu ebizwa nge-nuclear bomb eyabhubhisa i-Hiroshima. Kubalwa bona ibethano ngamandleli nalibekwa ku-Richter Scale lingaba kunamba 14 nofana lingaba namandla aphindwaphindwe kayi100 000 ukudlula ukudengezela kwephasi (earthquake) okumbi khulu ekhekwarikhodiwa.
I-bolide yangenelela phasi ephasini nga10 yamakhilomitha ngaphambili kobana ithuthumbe. Yaphula ematjeni we-Transvaal, Ventersdorp, Witwatersrand kunye newe-Dominion Supergroups ukuveza ikamura elingaphasi le-granite lekhontinendi ye-Kaapvaal.
I-Dimension Stone
I-crater lena beyingakanzizni kuhle itjekele ngehlangothini linye, begodu yawa msinya ngemva kwebethano ngamandla phasi. Amarimu we-crater aphuka abaziincephuncephu ezifana nerhemo lezindlu ezifanako ezihlangeneko eblogweni ezilinganako, ezaragela phambili zawela phasi esigodini esitjhingelako.
Ngemizuzwana, i-crater yabesele ibanzi ibumbeke njengesigodi esingatjhingeli khulu esinedayamitha angaba makhilomitha ayi300. Yangezeleleka ukusuka ePitori ukufika e-Welkom, begodu nanje isabobakala ngemilandelande yeempomporima (efaka hlangana i-Witwatersrand) egade itjekele phezulu ngonobangela webethano ngamandla.
Ngesikhathi sinye lokha irimu naliwako, i-uplift beyibumbeka phakathi kwe-crater. Lokhu kwenzeka ngombana, lokha i-bolide nayibethekako, amatje angaphasi komhlaba lapho ibethano ngamandla elezwakala khona khulu bekagandeleleke khulu. Ngemva kobana i-bolide iphenduke amathosi amanengi wamanzi, ukujama kwegandeleleko elivela phezulu lavumela amatje bona abhampele phezulu, ukubuyisela ukulingana kwawo. Ukutjhaphuluka lokhu kwabangela isiquntu se- Archaean granite sithumbuse amalarha wamatje amancani egade ahleli ngaphezulu kwayo.
Amalarha wamatje wekuthomeni egade athabalele we-Witwatersrand kunye newe-Transvaal Supergroup aphoseleka ngemahlangothini wawo bekaqala phezulu, abumba ikholoro ngemaqadi kwekamura elingaphasi komakhiwo wamatje amadala amanengi aya phezulu. I-uplift yabuye yahlala phasi godu, kodwana yahlala ngaphezulu kwerimu ye-crater. Ngemuva kwesikhathi, i-Vredefort granite yemandulo egade ivelele ngaphezulu yakhutjhwa ku-quarry, iinqephu zalokhu ‘i-dimension stone’ zasetjenziselwa ukurhabisa iinsekelo zemikhawulo emitjha yedoyelo leemphaphamtjhini e-Johannesburg.
I-Dome Mountain Land
Imiphumela yama-landscape eyabakhona, ivezwe njengesenta ye-uplift ezombelezwe sigodi esibanzi, esipataleleko nerimu ephukileko, ebizwa nge-complex crater begodu kufanele ilinganiswe namancani ‘i-simple’ craters, afana nenye e-Tswaing. Ngeqiniso, yi-uplift yesenta kwaphela (ngendabuko enesilinganiso esingaba yi100 khilomitha ubuvundla) elungele ukuba yi-Vredefort Dome. Iinsalela zomakhiwo we-crater azikavikelwa mithetho yePalamende yelifa (i-heritage legislation).
Ngesikhathi sebethano ngamandla, ukuphakama kwephasi bekuphezulu khulu ukudlula indlela elingayo namhlanjesi begodu, ngaphezulu kweminyaka eyi2 bhiliyoni edlulileko, umakhiwo we-Vredefort dome bewurhurhuleke khulu. Egcenye yesewula yetjingalanga ye-crater, amatje amatja we-Karoo Supergroup ambesa umakhiwo we-dome, ngomzuzu iinrhirirhiri zizala isigodi esibanzi ngemaqadi kwe-dome. Namhlanjesi, iinsalela eziseleko ezibonakalako ze-dome siquntu serondo seempomporima elinganiseneko ejika hlangana namadorobha amabili we-Potchefstroom kunye ne-Parys. Ubujalo obumangazakokhu kwejometri bubonakala kuhle eentombeni ze-aerial nofana zesathelayithi, begodu kwanjesi seyaziwa njenge-Dome Bergland nofana i-Dome Mountain Land.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana