Intaba yeqhwa enobukhulu obuphindwe kabili ngobukhulu beManhattan igqashuke esiqhingini esikhulu saseGreenland iPetermann Glacier, esingasheshisa imashi yeqhwa emanzini asenyakatho, kusho ososayensi ngoLwesithathu.
Lesi yisikhathi sesibili esikhathini esingaphansi kweminyaka emibili lapho i-Petermann Glacier izala isiqhingi esikhulu seqhwa. Ngo-2010, ladedela elinye iqhwa elikhulu olwandle.
Ikhefu lakamuva libonwe isathelayithi ye-NASA i-Aqua, edlula eNorth Pole izikhathi eziningana ngosuku, futhi yaphawulwa nguTrudy Wohlleben weCanadian Ice Service.
“Ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka, sihlala sibuka i-Petermann Glacier,” kusho u-Wohlleben, ngoba ingaveza izintaba zeqhwa ezinkulu ezihlasela imizila yemikhumbi yaseNyakatho ye-Atlantic noma izinkundla zikawoyela we-imperil e-Grand Banks eduze ne-Newfoundland. Ingxenye enkulu ye-iceberg ka-2010 yenza lokho kanye, kodwa ayizange idale umonakalo, esho ngocingo.
Izithombe ze-NASA zibonise ukuzala kweqhwa - liphuma emfuleni weqhwa ontantayo obizwa ngokuthi ulimi lweqhwa, ingxenye ye-Petermann Glacier ehanjelwe emhlabeni - futhi lwehla nomfula eduze kwefjord ogwini olusenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeGreenland. Ngo-2001 kwatholakala ukuthi kunoqhekeko eqhweni, kodwa ngoMsombuluko kubonakale umfantu.
NgoLwesibili, isathelayithi yabona igebe elikhulu phakathi kweqhwa kanye nentaba yeqhwa, kanti izingcezu zeqhwa zaziphuka, kusho iNASA ku-inthanethi.
"Isandiso esintantayo [seqhwa] siyahlukana," kusho u-Eric Rignot weJet Propulsion Laboratory yeNASA esitatimendeni. “Akukona ukuwa, kodwa kuyisenzakalo esibalulekile.”
Umehluko owodwa phakathi komcimbi ka-2010 nalona ukuthi isiqhingi esikhona manje seqhwa saphuka sikhuphuka nomfula, lapho iqhwa laliqonde ngqo ezindongeni ezisemadwaleni ze-fjord, okwaphazamisa ukunyakaza kolwandle kwe-glacier.
"Lesi siqeshana esisemuva kakhulu, kungenzeka ukuthi besinikeza amandla amaningi okukhubaza [iqhwa] ukwedlula ucezu olwaphuka ngo-2010, olwalusaqhuma kakhulu," kusho u-Andreas Muenchow, isazi sezolwandle e-Arctic. eNyuvesi yaseDelaware.
Ikhefu lango-2010 lasheshisa ukuhamba kukaPetermann Glacier ebheke olwandle ngamaphesenti ayishumi kuya kwangama-10, kusho uMuenchow ngocingo. Ikhefu lamanje lingaba nomthelela omkhulu ekuhambeni kweqhwa.
Izinguzunga zeqhwa zasogwini njengalolu limi lweqhwa oluntantayo luvame ukuvimba ukugeleza kweqhwa elibangise olwandle. Lapho izingcezu zeqhwa zixebuka, izinguzunga zeqhwa ezisemhlabeni ngemuva kwazo zivame ukuhamba ngokushesha, kusho uMuenchow.
Ukuhamba kwaleli qhwa elikhulu liye emanzini avulekile ngeke kube nomthelela ngokushesha emazingeni olwandle, njengoba leli qhwa lase liyingxenye yeshalofu leqhwa elalinanyathiselwe emhlabathini kodwa lelulelwe phezu kwamanzi, njengeqhwa elincibilikayo engilazini yeqhwa. amanzi awakhuphuli izinga lamanzi engilazini.
UMuenchow uthe ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kuyimbangela yesimo esikhona sePetermann Glacier. Uthe lesi singuzunga seqhwa sisemuva kakhulu emhlabeni njengoba sasinjalo kusukela kwaqala i-Industrial Revolution eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-150 edlule.
WASHINGTON - Reuters
