Un isigaxa esikhulu seqhwa leqhwa U-Larsen C wase-Antarctica uzobe eqhekeka ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo futhi ngaleyo ndlela abe omunye wama-icebergs ayi-10 amakhulu kunawo wonke ake abonwa.
Uma ekugcineni iqhwa liqhekeka, futhi njengoba kubukeka kunjalo, kuzoba yi umphumela wokuqhekeka okukhulu eshalofini leqhwa ebelokhu likhula ngokuqinile emashumini eminyaka adlule.
Ukuqhekeka kungazelelwe kwaqala ukukhula ngaphezu kwamamayela ayi-17,7 ngoDisemba futhi manje sekungamakhilomitha angama-80 ubude ngamakhilomitha ayi-18,5 kuphela ukugqashuka ngokuphelele. Amanzi afudumele ngaphansi kweshelufu leqhwa nomoya oshisayo ngenhla kungenzeka abe nomthelela ekukhuleni komchamo wokucaca, yize ososayensi njengamanje bengenabo ubufakazi obucacile bezimbangela zangempela.
Uprofesa weSwansea University kanye nomholi weqembu eliqapha ukuqhekeka u-Adrian Luckman utshele i-BBC ukuthi uma i-iceberg ingahlukani Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo, uzomangala nje ukuthi akwenzekanga kanjena:
Bekungekho okwanele izithombe ezingenamafu ezivela ku-Landsat, kepha sikwazile ukuhlanganisa izithombe ezimbalwa ze-radar ezisuka ku-Esa Sentinel-1 ukuthola ubukhulu, ngakho-ke kubonakala cishe kungenakugwemeka ukuthi ukwehla ngokuphelele kuzokwenzeka.
El inkinga yangempela ngokuphuka kweqhwa ukuthi lokhu kungathinta lonke u-Larsen C. Ithala leqhwa elingumakhelwane laziwa njengo-Larsen B futhi lihlukaniswe laba izingcezu eziyizinkulungwane kusukela ngo-2002. , okungalimaza izindawo ezingasogwini.
Ngizo izinyanga ezimbalwa ukuthi singazi ukuthi lelo shelufu leqhwa ngempela ukuthi besivele sazi ngokuhlukana kwakhe ezinyangeni ezi-4 ezedlule, ihlala ingathinteki futhi ekugcineni ayihlukaniswa ne-Antarctica.