IGrand Canyon neDolobha laseNew York afana ngani?

NguCaroline Coogan, Research Intern, The Ocean Foundation

Ngaso sonke isikhathi uma ngiya eNew York ngifikelwa - futhi ngivame ukukhungatheka - izakhiwo ezinde kanye nempilo ephithizelayo. Uma umi ngaphansi kwebhilidi elingu-300 m ubude noma ubheke phezu kwendawo yokubuka, idolobha lingaba yihlathi lasemadolobheni eliqhamuka phezulu noma idolobha lamathoyizi elibenyezelayo elikhanya ngezansi. Cabanga nje ugxuma usuka ezindaweni eziphakeme zeDolobha laseNew York uye ekujuleni kweGrand Canyon, eyi-1800 m phansi.

Ubukhulu balezi zimangaliso ezenziwe abantu nezemvelo buye bakhuthaza abadwebi, izazi zemvelo, nososayensi amakhulu eminyaka. Umbukiso wakamuva ka Gus Petro uyalicabanga idolobha eliphakathi kwezigodi neziqongo zeGrand Canyon - kodwa kuthiwani uma ngingakutshela ukuthi kunomhosha ophindwe kabili ngobukhulu obusuvele useNew York? Asikho isidingo se-photoshop lapha, i I-Hudson Canyon ingamakhilomitha angama-740 ubude kanye namamitha angama-3200 ukushona kanye namamayela nje phansi komfula i-Hudson futhi ngaphansi kolwandle oluluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka...

Ishalofu laseMid-Atlantic limakwe ngezihosha nezintaba zasolwandle, ngalinye lihlaba umxhwele njengeGrand Canyon futhi liyaphithizela njengeNew York City. Imibala egqamile nezinhlobo eziyingqayizivele ziklelisa phansi noma zihamba ngomkhumbi phakathi ekujuleni. Ukusuka eVirginia kuya eDolobheni laseNew York kunemihosha eyishumi ejulile yolwandle egcwele ukuphila - imihosha eyishumi esiholela komunye wemigubho yethu yeminyaka eyi-10.

Imihosha ephuma eVirginia naseWashington, DC - the Norfolk, Washington, futhi I-Accoac Amanyoni – babe ezinye zezibonelo eziseningizimu kakhulu zamakhorali amanzi abandayo kanye nezilwane ezihambisana nawo. Amakhorali ngokuvamile ahlotshaniswa namanzi afudumele, ashisayo. Amakhorali amanzi ajulile abaluleke kakhulu futhi aphatha izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinhlobo zezilwane njengabazala baso basebhishi. I Norfolk Canyon iye yanconywa njengendawo evikelekile yasolwandle kaninginingi, isibonelo esivamile sendlela esiphatha ngayo amagugu ethu asogwini. Bekuyindawo yokulahla imfucuza ekhipha imisebe ephindwe kabili futhi okwamanje isengcupheni yokuhlolwa kokuzamazama komhlaba.

Ukuqhubekela phambili enyakatho kusiletha endaweni I-Baltimore Canyon, ephawuleka ngokuba enye yezindawo ezintathu kuphela ze-methane ezigeleza eduze kweshalofu laseMid-Atlantic. Ama-methane seeps enza indawo engokoqobo nemakhemikhali eyingqayizivele ngempela; indawo lapho ezinye izimbaza nezinkalankala zifaneleka khona. I-Baltimore ibalulekile ngobuningi bayo bempilo yamakhorali futhi isebenza njengesizinda senkulisa yezinhlobo zezentengiselwano.

Lezi zigodi ezijulile zolwandle, njenge Wilmington futhi Spencer Amanyoni, ziyizindawo zokudoba ezikhiqizayo. Ukwehlukahlukana nobuningi bezinhlobo zezilwane kudala indawo ekahle yabadobi bezokungcebeleka nabathengisayo. Konke kusukela kwezinkalankala kuya ku-tuna noshaka kungadotshwa lapha. Njengoba iyindawo ebalulekile yezilwane eziningi, ukuvikela imihosha ngezikhathi zokuzala kungenza lukhulu ekulawuleni ukudoba.  Tom's Canyon Complex - uchungechunge lwemihosha emincane emincane - iphinde ibe nezindawo zayo ezinhle zokudoba.

Njengoba kuyizinsuku ezimbalwa nje ngemva kwe-Halloween, lokhu ngeke kube ukuthunyelwe okuningi ngaphandle kokusho okuthile okumnandi - i-bubblegum! I-Coral, okungukuthi. Lezi zinhlobo eziqanjwe ngendlela evusa amadlingozi zitholwe ukuhlola kolwandle olujulile lwe-NOAA Veatch futhi Gilbert Amanyoni. UGilbert akazange aqokwe ekuqaleni ngokuba nezinhlobonhlobo eziphezulu zamakhorali; kodwa uhambo lwe-NOAA lusanda kuthola okuhlukile ukuthi kwakuyiqiniso. Sifunda ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi kungakanani ukwehlukahlukana okutholakala kulokho esicabanga ukuthi amachibi angaphili phansi olwandle. Kodwa sonke siyazi ukuthi kwenzekani uma sicabanga!

Ukulandela lo mkhondo wemihosha iyona enkulu kunazo zonke - i Hudson Canyon. Inesisindo esingamakhilomitha angu-740 ubude namamitha angu-3200 ukujula, ijule ngokuphindwe kabili kuneGrand Canyon esabekayo kanye nendawo yokuhlala yezilwane nezitshalo - kusukela ezidalwa ze-benthic ekujuleni kuya ku-charismatic whales namahlengethwa ahamba eduze nendawo. Njengoba igama layo lisho, iyisandiso sohlelo loMfula i-Hudson - iveza ukuxhumana okuqondile kolwandle nomhlaba. Abayaziyo bazocabanga ngendathane yezindawo zokudoba i-tuna nama-black sea bass. Ingabe bayazi futhi ukuthi i-Facebook, i-imeyili, ne-BuzzFeed konke kuvela e-Hudson Canyon? Lesi sifunda esingaphansi kolwandle siwumgogodla wezintambo zokuxhumana ze-fiber-optic ezisixhuma emhlabeni jikelele. Esibuyela kukho kuncane kunenkanyezi - ukungcola kanye nemfucumfucu kuhanjiswa emithonjeni esemhlabeni futhi kuhlale kule mihosha ejulile eduze kwezinhlobonhlobo zazo zezinhlobo zezilwane.

I-Ocean Foundation igubha unyaka wethu weshumi eDolobheni laseNew York kuleli sonto - esithemba futhi ukuthi sizokugubha maduze ukuvikelwa kwemihosha engaphansi kolwandle. Isekela ukuzalanisa kwezinhlanzi, izindawo ezibalulekile zenkulisa, izilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle ezinkulu nezincane, nenqwaba yezidalwa eziphila kahle, le mihosha iyisikhumbuzo esimangalisayo sokwehlukahlukana kokuphila emanzini ethu. Amabhilidi aqhamuka ngenhla kwemigwaqo yaseNew York alingisa imihosha emikhulu engaphansi kolwandle. Isiphithiphithi sempilo emigwaqweni yaseNew York - izibani, abantu, omaka bezindaba, amafoni namathebulethi axhunywe ku-inthanethi - nakho kulingisa impilo enala ngaphansi kolwandle futhi kusikhumbuza ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ekuphileni kwethu kwansuku zonke emhlabeni.

Ngakho-ke iGrand Canyon neNew York City zifana ngani? Ziyizikhumbuzo ezibonakala kakhudlwana zezimangaliso zemvelo nezenziwe abantu ezingaphansi kwamagagasi.