UMary Allen
I-Permafrost ngumhlaba onomkhenkce unyaka wonke. Ngoko ke ikwabizwa ngokuba yi-permafrost. Ngamanye amaxesha umntu uthetha nje nge-permafrost ngokufutshane.
Kukho i-permafrost apho kubanda kakhulu, oko kukuthi, kwi-Arctic, kwi-Antarctic, okanye kwindawo yabo. I-tundra kunye ne-taiga zichaphazelekayo ngokukodwa. IGreenland iphantse yagutyungelwa yi-permafrost, iAlaska yesine-esihlanu, isiqingatha seRussia, kunye neTshayina malunga nesinye kwisihlanu. Kukho ne-permafrost kwiintaba ezininzi, umzekelo kwii-Himalayas nakwiiAlps. Umaleko we-permafrost unokuba ziimitha ezimbalwa ukuya kwi-1500 yeemitha ubukhulu.
I-Permafrost inzima kakhulu. Kwakhiwe iindlela ezininzi kuyo. Kwizindlu, abantu babedla ngokugrumba imingxuma enzulu emhlabeni baze bafake namapali kuyo. Ezi zindlu zimi okweentsika kumhlaba onomkhenkce. Uninzi lwezikhululo zeemoto ezinentambo kunye neendawo zokutyela ezisentabeni nazo zikwindawo enomkhenkce.
Izilwanyana nezityalo ezininzi zinomkhenkce onzulu kwi-permafrost, njengezinambuzane ezinkulu zexesha lokugqibela lomkhenkce. Oku kuluncedo kakhulu kwizazinzulu. Unokukhupha i-DNA kwezi zidalwa zifileyo kwaye ngaloo ndlela ufumane iplani yazo. Oku akunakwenzeka ngeefosili.
Kwenziwa ntoni ukutshintsha kwemozulu kwi-permafrost?
Kwezinye iindawo, i-permafrost iyanyibilika. Iindawo ezazifudula zikwindawo epholileyo epholileyo ngoku zikwindawo epholileyo. Ngenxa yoko, izityalo nezilwanyana ziyanyamalala zize ezinye zihlale kuzo.
Iindlela ezininzi kule mimandla azisekho kumhlaba omkhenkce kodwa ziseludaka. Umphezulu wendlela uneentanda kwaye iindawo zonke zendlela zisengozini yokuzika. Izindlu ezininzi ziyaqhekeka okanye zide ziwohloke ngenxa yokuba umhlaba ongaphantsi kwazo awusaqini.
ENorway, amathambeka onke asongela ukutyibilika ezantsi kwiifjords. Oku kunokubangela itsunami ngamaza angaphezu kweemitha ezingama-40 ukuphakama. KwiiAlps, xa ithambeka lilonke lityibilika kwidama, amanzi anokugqobhoza phezu kwedama aze abangele izikhukula ngakumbi ezantsi entlanjeni. Ukudilika komhlaba nako kunokusongela ngokuthe ngqo okanye kude kungcwabe izindlu okanye iilali ziphela.
Iindawo ezininzi zokutyela kunye nezikhululo zokuphakamisa ukutyibilika elwandle kwiiAlps nazo zisemngciphekweni ngenxa yokuba zikumhlaba onomkhenkce. Abo babephethe ezi zakhiwo baqalisa ukuyigubungela loo ndawo ngefoyile entwasahlobo ukuze ikhephu elingaphantsi linganyibiliki, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba kubekho ubushushu belanga. Iyasebenza, kodwa ibiza kakhulu kwaye ungayenza kuphela kwiindawo ezincinci.
Kodwa eyona nto imbi yeyokuba kukho ikharbon diokside eninzi evaleleke kwi-permafrost, ephinda kabini kunaleyo ikuwo wonke umoya ojikeleze umhlaba. Xa i-permafrost inyibilika, kuphuma le carbon dioxide, nto leyo eyandisa utshintsho lwemozulu. Kukho ezinye iigesi kwi-permafrost ezifana ne-methane kunye ne-nitrous oxide. Oku kwandisa utshintsho lwemozulu ngaphezu kwekharbon diokside. Oku kuya kunyibilikisa nangakumbi i-permafrost. Ngoko ke utshintsho lwemozulu luyakhawuleza ngokwalo.