Indlela nge Ndlela Yekwakhiwa kwe Vredefort Lesandingilizi

© David Fleminger

An Enormous Amount of Energy

Linani Lelikhulu lwe Mandla Njengobe le Vredefort bolide ihamba ngelitubane lelikhulu icondze Emhlabeni, litubane layo belingaba semkhatsini wemakhilomitha lamashumi lamane etigidzi kanye nemakhulu lamabili nemashumi lasikhombisa etigidzi ngelihora. Yatsi nayifika emhlabatsini, linani lelikhulu lemandla lakhululeka ngekubhoma lokwaba tigidzi letimakhulu lasihlanu etikhatsi kwaba nemandla kwengca Umfana Lomncane, le bhomu ye nuclear leyabulala Hiroshima. Kucatjangwa kutsi lesisindvo besingakaleka sibe lishumi nakune ngesikali seRitcher, noma Tikhulu tetigidzi ngesikhatsi letinemandla lamaningi kunalawo ekunyakata kwemhlaba lokwake kwatsatfwa.
Le bolide yacindzetela emakhilomitha langaba lishumi kulomhlaba ngetulu ngaphambi ibhome ngendzaba yekuphusheka. Yajubueka ematjeni ase Transvaal, Ventersdorp, Witwatersrana ne Macembu lamakhulu eDominion kwentela kuveta sisekelo seSigodzi seKaapvaal.

Bukhulu Belitje

Liceleni lalokuphakeme kwe Sigodzi lesikhulu bekungakahlali kahle, nomakunjalo, kwaphindze kwasheshe kwanyamalala ngalesosikhatsi ngemuva kwesisindvo. Lingetulu lwalesigodzi lwahliphika lwaba ticucu, lokwachubekela ekwehleni phansi kuya kulendishi legubhile. Kungakapheli imizuzu, lesigodzi besesivulekile saba yindishi lencane ngekuma lebe ine diameter lecishe ingemakhilomitha lamakhulu lamatsatfu. Yachubekela kusuka ePitoli kuya eWelkom, kepha solo ayitfolwa ngetintfo letiningi letindze letiphakeme (kufaka ekhatsi iWitwatersrand) lebetiphakanyiswe sisindvo.
Ngesikhatsi sinye lapho lendzebe beyiwa, kuphakamisa kwenteka emkhatsini walesigodzi lesikhulu. Loku kwenteka ngoba, kwatsi ngesikhatsi ibolide itsintsa, lamatje emkhatsini walesisindvo abecindzetelekile kakhulu. Ngemuva kwekuncibilika kwe bolide, lomfutfo lochamuka ngetulu uvumela lawa matje abuyele emuva etulu, kuze aphindze atfole kusima. Loku kukhululeka kwenta incenye ye Archaean granite kutsi ishaye kumatje lamancane la lele ngetulu kwayo. Lencenye yematje aphambilini lasemaceleni eWitwatersrand ne Licembu lelikhulu le Transvaal nawo andiziswa ngasemasayidini awo ase ayagucuka, akha ikhola ngaku mass lekhuluko yematje lamadzala. Lokukhuphuka kwabese kwehlela phansi futsi, kepha kwachubeka ngetulu kwendzebe ye yesigodzi lesikhulu. Kwatsi muva, le Vredevort granite yandvulo lebeyikadze iphakanyisiwe kantsi kwavetwa, nematje lakhiwe aloku, 'litje le dimension' asitjentiswa ekuhlobiseni lamaphila esikhumulandiza lesinsha saseGoli.

Indzawo Yentsaba Lesandingilizi

Imiphumela yemidvwebo, njengoba ichazwa ngekuphakama lokusekhatsi lokugegeleteke kabanti, bhesini lopatalele kanye nendzebe legamukile, ibitwa sigodzi lesingacaci futsi kumele icudzaniswe netintfo letincane'letilula' tigodzi, letifana nasinye lesise Tswaing. Ngekwembhalo, nguleto letisekhatsi letiphakeme (letikala lokungaba ngamakhilomitha lalikhulu ngekwecela) kuphumelela njenge Vredefort Lesandingilizi. Lolokusele kwe sakhiwo sesigodzi akukavikeleki ngemtsetfo wesive.
Ngesikhatsi sesisindvo, lelizinga lemhlaba belisetulu kunaleli lalamuhla futsi, ngeminyaka leyengcile letigidzi tetinkhulungwane letimbili, lesakhiwo se Vredefort Lesandingilizi yaphakanyiswa ngekusindza yatfwalwa. Kuncenye yeningizimu nshona yalesigodzi, ematje lamasha eLicembu lelikhulu le Karoo livale sakhiwo lesisandingilizi, ibe letinye tintfo tigcwele kulobhesini lovulekile lokulendzawo lesandingilizi. Namuhla, lolokusele lokubonakalako kwaloku lokusandingilizi ngulobuhle bengingilizi lesemagcumeni letjekela emkhatsini wemadolobha ePotchefstroom ne Parys. Lesi sento lesihle segeometric sibonakala kahle kutitfombe tema aerial nakuma satellite, futsi yatiwa njenge Bergland Yendingilizi noma Indzawo Yentsaba Lesandingilizi.

Translated by Phindile Malotana