Iyini Inkolelo-mbono yePangea? Ukuqonda Izwekazi Lasendulo Eliphakeme Lomhlaba
Umlando weplanethi yethu uwumlando obhalwe emadwaleni angaphansi kwezinyawo zethu, indaba ehlanganisa izigidigidi zeminyaka. Phakathi kwezahluko ezithakazelisa kakhulu kule ndaba kukhona inkolelo-mbono yePangea, umqondo oshintshe ukuqonda kwethu ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo komhlaba kanye nezinto eziphilayo. IPangea, kusukela emagameni esiGreki athi “pan” (okusho ukuthi “konke”) kanye nelithi “gaia” (okusho ukuthi “Umhlaba” noma “izwe”), ibhekisela ezwekazini elikhulu elalikhona ngesikhathi sePaleozoic kanye nezikhathi zokuqala zeMesozoic. Lo mhlaba wasendulo washintsha ngokuyisisekelo umbono wethu ngokukhukhuleka kwezwekazi, i-plate tectonics, kanye nezinqubo ezishintshashintshayo zoMhlaba.
Ukuzalwa Kwenkolelo-mbono
Inkolelo-mbono yePangea yaqala ukuphakanyiswa yisazi sezulu saseJalimane kanye nesazi se-geophysics u-Alfred Wegener ngo-1912. Ngocwaningo olunzulu nokubuka, uWegener waphakamisa ukuthi amazwekazi ake ahlanganiswa abe yizwe elilodwa, elikhulu ngaphambi kokuba ahlukane kancane kancane eminyakeni eyizigidi. Wabiza leli zwekazi elikhulu ngokuthi “iPangea” futhi waveza umbono oguqukayo wokukhukhuleka kwezwekazi.
Umbono kaWegener wawusekelwe ebufakazini obuningi. Waphawula ukufana okuphawulekayo ogwini lwamazwekazi afana neNingizimu Melika ne-Afrika, okwakubonakala kuhambisana njengezingcezu zephazili. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wabona ukufana kwejiyoloji, njengokuhambisana kwamarekhodi ezinsalela kanye nokwakheka kwamadwala, kuwo wonke amazwekazi manje ahlukaniswe ulwandle olukhulu. Isibonelo, izinsalela zezilwane ezihuquzelayo zasendulo iMesosaurus zatholakala eNingizimu Melika nase-Afrika, okuphakamisa ukuthi la mazwekazi ayekade exhumene.
Ukuqinisekiswa Kwezindawo
Naphezu kobufakazi obunamandla, inkolelo-mbono kaWegener ekuqaleni yabhekana nokuphikiswa okukhulu okuvela emphakathini wesayensi, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokuntuleka kwendlela enengqondo yokuchaza ukuthi amazwekazi angahamba kanjani. Kodwa-ke, intuthuko ocwaningweni lwe-geological kanye nobuchwepheshe ekugcineni yanikeza izimpendulo uWegener ayengenakukwazi ukuziphendula.
Ukutholakala kwezintaba eziphakathi kolwandle, imisele yolwandle olujulile, kanye namaphethini emigqa yamagnetic phansi kolwandle phakathi nekhulu lama-20 kwadlala indima ebalulekile ekuqinisekiseni inkolelo-mbono yePangaea. Lokhu okutholakele kwaholela ekuthuthukisweni kwenkolelo-mbono ye-plate tectonics, eyachaza ukuthi i-lithosphere yoMhlaba (ungqimba lwangaphandle oluqinile lweplanethi) ihlukaniswe ngamapuleti amaningana amakhulu namancane e-tectonic antanta ku-asthenosphere ewuketshezi olungaphansi kwawo.
Ukunyakaza kwala ma-tectonic plate kuqhutshwa yi-convective currents esiqongweni, okubangelwa ukushisa okuvela enkabeni yoMhlaba. Njengoba la ma-plate ehlangana, angahlangana, ahlukane, noma asheleleke, okuholela ekwakhekeni nasekuqhekekeni kwamazwekazi kanye nezizinda zolwandle. Lokhu kwanikeza indlela ekholisayo yokukhukhuleka kwamazwekazi, okunikeza isisekelo esiqinile kumbono wokuqala kaWegener.
Ukwakheka Nokuphila KwePangaea
I-Pangea yaqala ukwakheka eminyakeni ecishe ibe yizigidi ezingu-335 eyedlule ngesikhathi seCarboniferous, njengoba izindawo zomhlaba ezazikhona ngaphambili zashayisana futhi zahlangana. Ekuqaleni kwenkathi yamaPermian, cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-299 eyedlule, iPangea yayisihlanganisiwe ngokuphelele, yahlanganisa cishe ingxenye yobuso boMhlaba.
Isimo sePangea sibe nomthelela omkhulu esimweni sezulu soMhlaba kanye nezindawo zemvelo. Ingaphakathi elikhulu lezwekazi elikhulu cishe laliphawulwa yizingwadule ezomile, kuyilapho izifunda ezisogwini zazuza ezimweni ezifudumele nezinomswakama. Ukwakheka kwePangea kuphinde kuthonye imisinga yolwandle kanye namaphethini okujikeleza komoya, okuholela ekushintsheni okukhulu kwesimo sezulu.
Indawo eyingqayizivele yePangea nayo idlale indima ekuguqukeni nasekusabalaleni kokuphila eMhlabeni. Umhlaba omkhulu wezwekazi elikhulu wanikeza amathuba amaningi okuthi izinto eziphilayo zasemhlabeni zihlakazeke futhi zivumelane nezimo ezahlukahlukene. Isikhathi sokuba khona kwePangea sabona ukuhlukahluka kwezilwane ezihuquzelayo, okuhlanganisa ama-dinosaur okuqala, kanye nezinhlobo zokuqala zokhokho bezilwane ezincelisayo.
Ukuhlukana KwePangaea
I-Pangea yaqala ukuqhekeka eminyakeni engaba yizigidi ezingu-175 eyedlule ngesikhathi seJurassic, iqhutshwa amandla angapheli e-plate tectonics. Ukuqhekeka kokuqala kwaholela ekwakhekeni kwamazwekazi amabili amancane, i-Laurasia enyakatho yenkabazwe kanye ne-Gondwana eningizimu yenkabazwe. Eminyakeni eyizigidi eziningana eyalandela, la mazwekazi aqhubeka nokuqhekeka, ekugcineni adala amazwekazi esiwaziyo namuhla.
Ukuqhekeka kwePangea kwaba nemiphumela ejulile ekubunjweni komhlaba, isimo sezulu kanye nebhayoloji yoMhlaba. Ukuqhekeka kwezwekazi elikhulu kwaholela ekudalweni kwezizinda ezintsha zolwandle kanye nokuhlelwa kabusha kwamaphethini okujikeleza kolwandle kanye nomoya. Lokhu kwaba negalelo ekuthuthukisweni kwezimo zezulu nezindawo zokuhlala ezahlukahlukene, okukhuthaza ukuvela kanye nemisebe yezinhlobo eziningi zezitshalo nezilwane.
Ukuqhekeka kwePangea nakho kwaba nemiphumela ebalulekile yejiyoloji, okuhlanganisa ukwakheka kwezintaba ezinkulu njengeRockies, i-Andes, ne-Himalaya, kanye nokuvulwa kolwandle i-Atlantic ne-Indian. Lezi zinqubo zejiyoloji ziqhubekile nokubumba ubuso boMhlaba, okubonisa isimo esiguquguqukayo seplanethi yethu.
Imiphumela Yanamuhla Nocwaningo Oluqhubekayo
Imfundiso yePangea kanye nemibono ebanzi ye-continental drift kanye ne-plate tectonics kushintshe ukuqonda kwethu umlando woMhlaba kanye nezinqubo zawo eziguquguqukayo. Le mibono inikeze ukuqonda okubalulekile ngokunyakaza kanye nokusebenzisana kwama-tectonic plates, ukwakheka kwamazwekazi kanye nezizinda zolwandle, kanye nokusatshalaliswa kwezici ze-geological nezebhayoloji.
Ucwaningo oluqhubekayo kweze-geology, i-paleontology, kanye nemikhakha ehlobene nalo luyaqhubeka nokwandisa ulwazi lwethu nge-Pangea kanye nemiphumela yayo. Ubuchwepheshe besimanje obufana nezithombe zesathelayithi, ukuhlola okujulile kolwandle, kanye nokuhlaziywa kwe-geochemical okuthuthukisiwe kuye kwavumela ososayensi ukuthi bangene ngokujulile ezimfihlakalo zesikhathi esidlule soMhlaba. Lezi zifundo zembule imininingwane eyinkimbinkimbi yezinqubo ezakha i-Pangea futhi ziyaqhubeka nokubumba iplanethi yethu namuhla.
Ukuqonda umlando wePangea nakho kunemiphumela ewusizo emphakathini wanamuhla. Ukuqonda nge-plate tectonics kanye nezinqubo ze-geological kungasiza emizamweni yokubikezela nokunciphisa izinhlekelele zemvelo njengokuzamazama komhlaba, ama-tsunami, nokuqhuma kwezintaba-mlilo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ulwazi ngezinguquko zesimo sezulu esidlule kanye nemicimbi ye-geological lunganikeza umongo obalulekile wokubhekana nezinselele zemvelo zanamuhla.
Isiphetho
Inkolelo-mbono yePangea imelela omunye wemibono eguqula kakhulu emkhakheni wesayensi yoMhlaba. Kusukela esiphakamisweni sayo sokuqala sika-Alfred Wegener kuya ekuqinisekisweni kwayo ngenkolelo-mbono ye-plate tectonics, iPangea ishintshe ukuqonda kwethu imvelo enamandla yoMhlaba kanye nomlando wayo we-geological. Leli zwekazi lasendulo lisebenza njengobufakazi bezinqubo eziyinkimbinkimbi nezishintsha njalo eziye zabumba iplanethi yethu eminyakeni eyizigidigidi. Njengoba ucwaningo lwesayensi luqhubeka nokuthola imininingwane emisha mayelana nePangea kanye nefa layo, sithola ukuqonda okujulile ngobunkimbinkimbi kanye nesimangaliso soMhlaba esihlala kuwo.
