Matombo a Richtersveld

Zwa Vhubindudzi zwa Geology

©Shem Compion

Zwa vhubindudzi zwa geology zwi ya ḓaḓisa kana ndi manwe mafhungo vhoo. Fhedzi, Richtersveld na Namaqualand vha ya ḓi ṱongisa nga zwithu zwine zwa vha zwilapfu zwine zwi ya mangadza zwi ya ita uri muhumbulo u vhe muswa.
Naho zwo ralo, shango ḽo khetheyaho, zwimela, zwa uvha hone na dzi diamond na u pfuma zwithu zwa mvelo, zwi vha zwi na vhukwamani na matombo ane zwa wela khao. Zwino hezwi ndi zwo fhelelaho nga ha tshiṱori…
Leyara ya kalesa ya tombo ye ya ḓo wanala kha ḽa Namaqualand zwa minwaha ya 2 billion yo fhelaho. Ine ya ḓivhiwa sa tshigwada tsha mulambo wa Orange, haya ndi matombo a mvelo ane vhubvo ha hone ha vha ha volcano.
Henefho fhasi mulamboni wa orange ho mbo ḓi ḓa dzi leyara dza matombo (ane avha na muṱavha na shale). Hezwi zwi kha ḓi vhonala na kha u sikiwa ha Rosyntjieberg, ho dzulaho kha Richtersveld National Park.

Zwiwo zwo Dzhenelelaho

©Jaques Marais

Ho mbo ḓi tevhela u dzhenelela ha musi matombo ano khou bva kha Mantle atshi sukumedzelwa kha mitwe ine ya vha kha crust a rothola a fhasi. Hezwi zwo sia hu tshi khou sikiwa zwithu zwinzhi zwine zwo ḓo fhedza zwo sika mathomo ane aya ṱanḓavhuwa ubva kha Knersvlakte (vhubvaḓuvha ha Vanrhynsdorp) uya Steinkopf.
Hafha fhethu ṋamusi hu ḓivhiwa sa Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex kana vunḓu, musi mufhiso u tshi fhirela phanḓa kha matombo o tingaho.
Tombo ḽa volacano ḽa mbo ḓi shanduka ḽa vha schist, shale ya shanduka ya vha slate matombo a muṱavha a shanduka avha quartzite. Kha ḽa Richtersveld, hohu u dzhenelela ho katelwa na Vioolsdrift Suite (ho vha hone nga minwaha ya 1.9-1.75 billion yo fhelaho), vhubvo ha mvelo ha Richtersveld Suite (ndi kale kha minwaha ya 1 billion yo fhelaho) na Gannakouriep Suite (u tevhekana ha north-south tending black yo vhaho hone nga murahu ha minwaha ya 870 na 540 million yo fhelaho).

Mafic Bodies

©Roger de la Harpe

Tshishumiswa tsha ndeme tsha hezwi zwa u dzhenelela phanḓa ha ‘mafic bodies’, hune zwa kwama uvha hone ha copper na dzinwe dzi minerala.
Hezwi zwithu zwo ḓi khethaho zwa ore zwi ya wanala kha zwivhumbeo zwa steep nahone zwi ḓivhiwa nga ḽa Koperberg Suite zwa u iswa ha copper kha Namaqualand nga murahu zwi ḓo vha na mushumo muhulwane kha u bvleledzwa ha shango.
Ubva hafho nga murahu ha minwaha ya 850 million yo fhelaho,shango ḽa Pangaea ḽa thoma u khethekanya ḽa vha shango ḽine ra khou ḽi vhona ṋamusi. Hezwi zwo ita uri lwanzhe lu sike zwinzhi zwine ra zwi vhona kha ḽa Namaqualand. Zwishumiswa zwo waniwa kha ḽa hinterland na u sikiwa ha tshigwada tsha Gariep.

Vandersterr na Stinkfontein

Kha ḽa Richtersveld, zwinwe zwa zwithu zwo wanalaho zwi ambiwa uri zwi ḓo vha zwo hwaliwa mathomoni a thavha. Hezwi zwo ita uri calcium carbonate i kone ubva maḓini, ya sika dzi limestone na dolomite.
Haya matombo ovha ono ḓowela mufhiso na mutsiko, zwa sia uri a kwashee nga u balewa u konḓelela quartzites na marbles dza tshigwada tsha Stinkfontein.
Zwinwe zwine zwa ḓivhea nga ha tshigwada tsha Stinkfontein ndi u sikiwa ha Kaigas, u kuvhanganyiwa ha tombo ḽa tillite, ḽo laṱiwaho nga glaciers ye ya vha yo dalela vhupo. Hei glacial ine ya tou ḓivhea vhukuma kha ḽifhasi.
Vha dzi thavha dza Vandersterr na vha Stinkfontein (vhane vha ḓivhidza vhone mutshilitshili wa Richtersveld) ndi zwipiḓa zwa hezwi zwigwada nahone ndi vhone vhane vha fara zwithu zwihulwane kha vhupo. Hezwi zwi sika zwithu zwinzhi zwa nga mutsho kha ḽa Richtersveld, zwine wa vha tshone tsha zwinwe zwithu zwine tsha dzhenelela kha ivha hone ha botanical diversity khulwane.

The Nama and Numees

©Shem Compion

Tshitevhelaho, lwa minwaha ya 570 million yo fhelaho, ho vha na tshifhinga tshe ha ḓo vha na u sikiwa ha zwigwada zwa Nama na Numees, zwine zwa vha zwo katela dolomite, limestone (hikda suite) shale na sandstone. Lwa minwaha ya 540 million yo fhelaho, holu lugwada lwa matombo ane avha o tou adza lwa khakhiswa nga Kuboos-Bremen suite ya granites, ye ya ḓo vha hone kha mutalo une wa vha uri wo khwaṱha une wa gidima nga northwest-southeast.
Dzi thavha dza Ploegberg (tsini na kusi kwa Kuboes) na granitic Tatasberg pluton (ine ya vha kha ḽa Richtersveld National Park) ndi tshipiḓa tsha hei suite. Hedzi dzi pluton ndi dzone khulwane dza matombo dzine dzo sikiwa musi volcano i tshi thuthuba i tshi khou bva kha mantle ya dzula fhasi, ya kona u thuthuba musi matombo o i ṱingaho asi tsheho tsini. Inwe tsumbo ya pluton ndi paarl hune ya ḓivhea vhukuma, hune havha kha ḽa south-western Cape.
Lwa minwaha ya 450 million yo fhelaho, shango ḽa isa phanḓa ḽa ita uri fhethu huhulwane hu vulee kha fhethu hune ha vha south-western Cape ṋamusi. Hezwi zwi ḓo vhanga uri zwithu zwiswa zwi ḽe miri ya Namaqualand plateau zwi yele vhukovhela. Zwe zwa do hwaliwa zwa iswa hunwe zwo mbo ḓi sika thavha ya Cape Fold Mountain ranges na u savha hone ha mavu kha ḽa Cape Floral Kingdom (zwine zwa dovha zwa ḓivhea nga ḽa Fynbos).

Translated by Khalirendwe Nekhavhambe