Maribye ya Richtersveld
Mintirho ya Geology
Mintirho ya geology hileyi tikaka swinene naswona hileyi anameke. Kutlula kwalano, Richtersveld na Namaqualand tina xitori xo leha naswona minga njhekanjhekisana hixona swinene loko swita eka geological timeline, hikukomisa, yipandzisa nhloko. Hambiswiritano, xivumbeko lexi xohlamarisa xa misava, vutomi bya swimilani swakona, swicelwa na mfuwo wa ndzhavuko eka ndzhawu liya hinkwaswo swifambisana na maribye lawa swinga tshama e henhla ka wona. Se, hilowu nkatsakanyo wa xihatla wa xitori…
Maribye yakhale lawa aya vonaka e ndzhawini ya Namaqualand yatlhelela endzhaku ka malembe yakwalomu ka 2 billion wa malembe lawa yanga hundza. Leyitivekaka tani hi Orange River Group, laha kutele maribye ya igneous rocks lawa yanga tumbuluka hikwalaho ka volcano. Ti lava ta maribye lawa ya Orange River Group aya ndlalekile e henhla ka yanwana yati sedimentary (sandstone na shale). Lawa yanga tlhela ya vonaka eku vumbekeni ka Rosyntjieberg, leyinga e Richtersveld National Park.
Mintirho Yonghenelela
Kusuka kwalano kulandzele nkarhi woleha laha akuri na mintirho yonghenelela laha kungava na molten rock kusuka eka Mantle leyi sukumetiweke hilomu kunga pandzekela eka crust laha yinga vuya hola kusuhi nale tshakwini. Leswi swiendle leswaku kuva na kuvumbiwa ka yan’wana ya granite lawa yanga endla tshaku ra granite ‘basement’, leri navaka kusuka eka Knersvlakte (n’walungwini wa Vanrhynsdorp) kuya e Steinkopf. Ndzhawu leyi sweswi yitiveka tani hi Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex kumbe Province, loko kuhisa kunghenelela ka subterranean kuve naku cinca (metamorphosed) eka maribye lawa yanga eku suhi.
Kutani, maribye lawa yanga vangiwa hi volcanic yavuye ya cinca kuva schist, shale yi cinca yiva slate naswona sandstone yihundzuka quartzite. E Richtersveld, kunghenelela lokungava kona kukatsa Vioolsdrift Suite (yavekiwe kona kusuka eka 1.9-1.75 billion wa malembe lawa yanga hundza), kasi Richtersveld Igneous Suite (yitlhelela endzhaku ka kwalomu ka 1 billion wa malembe) na Gannakouriep Suite (leswi fambaka kusuka e nwalungwini kuya edzongeni leswinga vanga leswaku black dykes leyinga vekiwa exikarhi ka 870 na 540 million wa malembe lawa yanga hundza).
Mimiri ya Mihlovo yo Dzwihala
Xiphemu xankoka xa mintirho leyinga nghenelela akuri vukona bya nhlanganelo wa ti ‘mafic bodies’, leswikatsaka swiphemu swa koporo na timinerali ta nkoka. Mimiri leyi yinga yoxe yikumeka eka ti ‘steep structures’ naswona titiveka loko tihlanganile tani hi Koperberg Suite. Swiphemu leswi swa koporo swale Namaqualand aswita hoxa xandla swinene eka nhluvukiso wa ndzhawu liya. Kutani, kwalomuya ka 850 million wa malembe lawanga hundza, kusungule ku phatluka la xiphemu lexikulu xa misava xa Pangaea (kumbe rift) kuva matiko lawa hi wavonaka naku yativa sweswi. Leswi swiendle leswaku lwandle exikarhi ku endla fambelo lerisukaka e n’walungwini kuya dzongeni kunga leswi namuntlha hinge i Namaqualand. Kuve na nkhukhulo wamatimba swinene kusuka e hinterland kutani swiya cheriwa xikan’we naku endla swohambana hambana swa Gariep Group.
Vandersterr na Stinkfontein
E Richtersveld, swinwani swa leswi salaka switekiwa kuva swi hlengeletanile e hansi ka ntshava eka malembe ya khale. Leswi swivange leswaku calcium carbonate yihaha yisuka e matini, kutani swiendla limestone na dolomite. Maribye lawa yasala yri erivaleni laha kuhisaka na ntshikelelo, swivanga leswaku yangehana eka xivandla xa metamorphose kutani kuva na quartzites leyinga khukhulekeki nati marbles e Stinkfontein group. Swin’wani swa Stinkfontein group kuna ku vangeka Kaigas, nhlengeletano wa maribye ya tillite, yatisiwa hiti glaciers letinga tshama ti khungulukela eka ndzhawu yoleyo.
Leswi i vukona byati glacier letivaka kona titivekaka emisaveni hinkwayo. Tintshava ta Vandersterr na Stinkfontein (leswivuriwaka rhambu ra longo ra Richtersveld) i xiphemu xa ntlawa naswona yina tinhlohlorhi to leha swinene endzhawini. Kuya hi ecology, tintshava letimbirhi tina xiave xankoka hikuva tisivela mapapa lawa ya tisaka mpfula kuva ya tshunelela lwandle ra Atlantic Ocean kuva ritshunelela endzeni. Leswi swi endla leswaku ti microclimates to hlawuleka letingale Richtersveld, leswi swinga swin’wana swa leswi hoxaka xandla eka kuhambana hambana ka swimilani.
Mintlawa ya Nama na Numees
Leswi landzelaka, kwalomu ka 570 million wa malembe lawa yanga hundza, akuri na nkarhi lowu kufika ka swilo leswi ehansi ka ntshava swi endle leswaku kuva na tinxaka ta Nama na Numees Groups, leswi swingana ti dolomite, limestone (Hilda Suite), shale nati sandstones. 540 million wa malembe lawa yanga hundza, ntlawa lowu wa maribye lawa yo phambarhala aya ngheneleriwile hi Kuboos-Bremen suite yati granites, leyi kumekaka eka ntila lowu tsutsumaka kusuka en’walungu vupela dyambu kuya e dzongeni vuhuma dyambu. Ntshava ya Ploegberg (kusuhi na tiko ra Kuboes) na lawa ya granitic Tatasberg pluton (lawa yanga eka Richtersveld National Park) i xiphemu xa wona.
Ti plutons i maribye lawakulu lawa yanga kukumuka lawa yanga endleka loko maribye lawa yanga vangiwa hi volcano yakukumuka kusuka ka Mantle kutani ya hola endzhaku kasweswo, laha ya salaka e handle endzhaku kaloko maribye lawa yanga e henhla yavaka ya khukhuriwile. Xikombiso xin’wana xa pluton i xibye ra ndhuma ra Paarl (Pearl) Rock, lerikumekaka e dzongeni-vupela dyambu bya Cape. Kwalomu ka 450 million wa malembe lawa yanga hundza, swiyile emahlweni swiendla leswaku kuva na kupfuleka e ndzhawini liya laha sweswi kunga dzongeni-vupela dyambu bya Cape. Leswi swivange leswaku kuva na leswi endlaka nkhukhulo leswi aswiri kudyeni ka Namaqualand plateau kutshunelela e Dzongeni. Masalela lawa ya hetelele ya fambisiwa kuya eka ndzhawu yintshwa leyinga hetelela yi endla vukulu bya Cape Fold Mountain xikan’we na misava leyi pfumalaka swakudya ya Cape Floral Kingdom (leyitivekaka hi Fynbos).
Translated by
Ike Ngobeni
