Amatye Ase Richtersveld

Umba Wobume Bomhlaba

©Shem Compion

Umba wobume bomhlaba ngumcimbi othande ukubanzima noxakayo. Ngaphezulu, iRichtersveld kunye ne Namaqualand ziqhayisa ngembali ende etyebileyo,neyenza ndijikelezelwe yintloko. Nangona kunjalo, umhlaba ongaqhelekanga izityalo, iiminerali kunye nobutyebi besintu bale ngingqi buqhagamshelene ngqo namatye asingathe konke oku.

Nanga amagqaba ntshintshi eli bali…
Awona matye akudala asabonakalayo kummandla wase Namaqualand amalunga nee bhiliyoni ezimbini zeminyaka eyadlulayo. Iilava ze Orange River Group zagqunywa ngamatye athile ankuphukayo (sandstone kunye ne shale). Lamatye asabonakala kwinduli ye Rosyntjieberg, emi kwi Richtersveld National Park.

Ukungenelela Kweziganeko

©Jaques Marais

Kwalandela isithuba eside sokungenelela kweziganeko ngethuba ilitye elinyibilikileyo elisuka emathunjini omhlaba (Mantle) laphuphuma kwiintanda zomhlaba ze lapholela kufutshane naphezu komhlaba. Oku kwakhokelela ekwenzekeni kwamatye e granite neyathi yenza i granite ‘basement’. Eli litye ke liqala kwindawo yase Knersvlakte (emantla ase Vanrhynsdorp) ukuya eSteinkopf. Le ngingqi ngoku yaziwa njenge Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex okanye iPhondo, njengoko ubushushu bolungenelelo batshintsha ubume bamatye angqonge lendawo.

Aze ke amatye entaba-mlilo (volcano) ajika abangamatye aluhlobo lwe schist, aze awe shale ajika abangawe slate aze awe sandstone ajik abayi quartzite. eRichtersveld, olungenelelo luquka iVioolsdrift Suite (neyenyeka kwiminyaka ezizi 1.9-1.75 billion eyadlulayo), iRichtersveld Igneous Suite (neyenzeka kwiminyaka ezi 1 billion eyadlulayo) kunye ne Gannakouriep Suite (uchunge chunge lwe mntla-mzantsi lwamatye e black dykes eyenzeka kwiminyaka engama 870 kunye nama 540 yezigidi eyadlulayo).

Izimbiwa Zexabiso

©Roger de la Harpe

Enye into ebalulekileyo kwezi ziganeko kukubakho kochunge chunge lwee ‘mafic bodies’, neziqulathe ikopoli, kunye nezinye iiminerali zexabiso. Ezi zimbiwa zizimele geqe zifumaneka kwizakhiwo eziphezulu kwaye zaziwa njenge Koperberg Suite xa zidibene. Ekuhambeni kwethuba le kopolo ithe gqaba gqaba eNamaqualand idlale indima ebalulekileyo ekuphuhlisweni kwalo mmandla.

Ze, malunga neminyaka engama 850 yezigidi eyadlulayo, umhlabakazo omkhulu wase Pangaea waqala ukuqhekeka kubini waba ngala mazwe kazi siwaziyo namhlanje. Oku kwabangela umsele wolwandle ukuba wakheke kumntla-mzantsi womhlaba onqumle iNamaqualand esiyaziyo namhlanje. Imathiriyeli yaya ikhukuliseka ukusika ehinterland yaya kugaleleka kulomsele. Oku kwenza iindidi zamatye ohlukeneyo nesiwabiza nge
Gariep Group.

iVandersterr Kunye ne Stinkfontein

eRichtersveld, kucingelwa ukuba ezinye zezintsalela ziqokelelene ezinyaweni zentaba yamandulo. Oku kwadala ukuba icalcium carbonate iphume ingumphunga emanzini, yenza ilimestone kunye ne dolomite. Lamatye afumana ubushushu noxinzelelo, nto leyo yawenza ukuba ajike abengamatye ohlobo lwe quartzites kunye ne marbles ze Stinkfontein group. Enye into ye Stinkfontein group yi Kaigas Formation, ingqokelela yamatye ohlobo lwe tillite, neyashiywa zii glaciers ezazikhe zachwechwela lommandla. Le yeyona ndawo indala yashiywa zezi glaciers ehlabathini.

Iintaba ze Vandersterr kunye ne Stinkfontein (nezibizwa ngomqolo we Richtersveld) ziyinxalenye yeliqela kwaye zinezona ncochoyi ziphakamileyo kule ngingqi. Ngokwezendalo, ezi ncochoyi zibalulekile kuba zisebenza ukuthintela amafu athwele amanzi nasuka kwi Atlantic Ocean, ukuba angafikeleli embindini. Oku kudala imozulu ezininzi ezahlukeneyo phakathi kwi ndaow yase Richtersveld. Oku kokunye okubangela iyantlukwano engaka kwizityalo ezikulendawo.

iiNama Kunye nee Numees

©Shem Compion

Okulandelayo, malunga neminyaka engama 570 million eyadlulayo, kwakukho isithuba sokunkuphuka kwamatye. Oku kwadala amatye eNama kunye ne Numees Groups, nequlathe i dolomite, limestone (iHilda Suite), shale kunye nee sandstones. Kwiminyaka engama 540 yezigidi eyadlulayo, eliqela lamatye anabileyo langenelelwa ngamatye eKuboos-Bremen suite eegranite, nangumkrozo womgca ohamba emntlantshona-mzantsimpuma.
Intaba ye Ploegberg (ekufuphi nelali iKuboes) kwakunye ne granitic Tatasberg pluton (emi kwi Richtersveld National Park) ziyinxalenye yale suite. Ezi zimbumba zamatye amakhulu awadaleka ngethuba ilava iphuphumala emathunjini omhlaba yaze yaphola kancinci nje phantsi komhlaba. Yathi yavela ngaphandle ngethuba amatye aphezu kwayo ekhukuliseka. Omnye umzekelo we pluton lilitye elidumileyo elibizwa nge Paarl (Pearl) Rock, nelimi kumzantsi-ntshona koloni.
Malunga neminyaka engama 450 million eyadlulayo, ukuqhubekeka kokuqhekeka kwamazwekazi kwabangela ukuba kuvuleke indawo enkulu emgobongqo kwindawo namhlanje ebizwa ngo mzantsi-ntshona koloni. Oku kwabangela imimoya ekhukulisayo neyayi khukulisa intaba yase Namaqualand ukuba itshintshele emazantsi. Ezi ntsalela zaye zathutheleke kulendawo imgobongqo zaye zahamba zenza iintaba ezinkulu ze Cape Fold Mountain kwakunye nomhaba ongenazinongo we Cape Floral Kingdom (neyaziwa njenge as Fynbos).

Translated by Zizipho Silwana