Ngamafuphi, iPangea kwakuyi-supercontinent eyayiqukethe wonke umhlaba womhlaba. Igama elithi Pangea livela emagameni esiGreki ipani-kusho ukuthini "konke", futhi -eyakusho ukuthini "Umhlaba".
Lapha sikutshela kancane ngemvelaphi yayo, futhi mayelana U-Alfred Wegener, owasekela ukuba khona kwayo; wanikeza umbono ngokubunjwa nokuhlukana kwabo ngo-1912.
I-Pangea nezici zayo
I-Pangea igama le- I-supercontinent yokuqala enkulu emhlabeni. I-Pangea ibizwa ngokuthi phangea ngesiGreki futhi ihumusha "konke" kanye "nomhlaba." Igama layo laqanjwa ngu-Alfred Wegener ngo-1912, owayengumgqugquzeli omkhulu we- Umbono wokukhukhuleka kwezwekazi.
Ukuma kwasekuqaleni kwePangea kukholakala ukuthi kwakuyinqwaba yomhlaba emise okuka-'U' noma 'C' etholakala kunkabazwe. Ngenxa yobukhulu obukhulu bePangea, izifunda zomhlaba ezingaphakathi kwakucatshangwa ukuthi zomile ngenxa yokuntuleka komswakama. Izilwane ezazihlala e-supercontinent zazikwazi ukuhamba ngokukhululekile phakathi kwezimo ezidlulele ngaphandle kwezithiyo.
IPhangea yayinengxenye engumgede, ebizwa ngokuthi I-Tethys Sea, eyayinolwandle oluncane. Ngaphezu kwe I-Panthalassa, okuwukuphela kolwandle oluzungeze iPangea, indawo enkulu yomhlabathi yayizungezwe ugwadule ngenxa yokuntuleka komswakama. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi ingxenye enkulu yezwekazi lasePangea yayingakwazi ukufinyelela kalula kumswakama ovela olwandle.
Yakhiwa kanjani iPangea? Futhi lahlukaniswa kanjani?
Yakhiwa ukunyakaza okuhlangene kwamapuleti e-tectonic 335 izigidi zeminyaka ngesikhathi Isikhathi se-Paleozoic. Ngaleso sikhathi, ingxenye enkulu yomhlaba yale planethi yayifakwe ePangea. Ngemva kwalokho yahlukana phakathi eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-175 kamuva, izingxenye zahlukana futhi kwakheka amazwekazi amasha. Le nqubo yaqhubeka kwaze kwaba yilapho kwakhiwa izindawo eziningi zomhlaba ezinkulu zanamuhla, inqubo esaqhubeka nanamuhla.
Ngokusho kwamarekhodi e-geological, biological and physical, uqweqwe lomhlaba lwaqina eminyakeni eyizigidi ezi-4 edlule. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, izinguquko eziningi ezibalulekile ze-geological zenzekile, okuvumela umbono obanzi wezenzakalo ezenzeka kuze kube sekubunjweni kwePangea. Cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-700 edlule, ekupheleni kwenkathi ye-Precambrian, Kwakukhona ama-paleocontinents amabili emhlabeni. ubizile I-Baikalia y I-Pan African. Ekugcineni, ahlangana akha izwekazi elilodwa iPangea cishe eminyakeni engu-500 ngaphambi kukaKristu. Cishe eminyakeni engama-400 ngaphambi kukaKristu, iYurophu neNyakatho Melika zazixhunywe njengezwe elilodwa.
I-landmass eyaziwa ngokuthi UGondwana kwakhiwa cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-230 edlule futhi kuhlanganisa amazwe amaningi ase-Asia, e-Afrika, e-Australia, eNingizimu Melika naseNdiya. Yayiqukethe neYurophu neNyakatho Melika ngaleso sikhathi. Wonke la mazwekazi ahlanganiswa cishe ngendlela efanayo. Ezinye izinguquko ezincane zenziwe kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ngenxa yezinqubo ezilandelayo ze-orogenic. I-Pangea yenkathi ye-Mesozoic ihlukaniswe izigaba ezine eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-65 edlule, ngokwezikhombo.
Kwenzekani ngokuhlukaniswa kwePangea?
I-Atlantic Ocean yakhiwa phakathi kwe-Afrika neNyakatho Melika lapho umhlabathi uhlukana phakathi kweLaurasia neGondwana.. Ukwehlukana okwalandela phakathi kweNyakatho Melika neNingizimu Melika kwaholela ekwandeni okwengeziwe kolwandle. Ukuhlukaniswa kwe-Afrika, i-Antarctica, i-Australia, neNingizimu Melika evela eNdiya kwenzeka lapho izwekazi laseGondwana lihlukana. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, iNyakatho ye-India yayihlukana neNingizimu India. Lokhu kudalwe ukuqhekeka nokunyakaza okuhlukene emazwenikazi akwaGondwana.
Njengoba i-Afrika iqhubekela enyakatho, kwamiswa uLwandle iMedithera. Lokhu kuphinde kwabangela ukuvalwa komkhawulo osempumalanga woLwandle iTethys. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, iNingizimu Melika ne-Afrika yahlukana, yanciphisa ubukhulu boLwandle iTethys. Ekupheleni kwenkathi, iGreenland yahlukaniswa neYurophu futhi yaba indawo ehlukile. I-Afrika neNingizimu Melika zase zihlukene phakathi, njengoba kwenza i-Australia ne-Antarctica. I-India yayicishe ibe maphakathi nenkabazwe; yayihlukene neNingizimu Melika. INyakatho Melika nayo yahlukana neYurophu.
Ubani owafakazela ukuthi ukhona?
U-Alfred Wegener bekuyi isazi sezulu saseJalimane owaqoqa imininingwane emikhakheni ehlukene yesayensi ukuze asekele umbono wakhe wokukhukhuleka kwezwekazi. Ushicilele imiphumela yakhe encwadini ku 1915, okubangela ukuzamazama okufana nokuzamazama komhlaba ezisekelweni zesayensi yoMhlaba. Abantu abaningi babebheka inkolelo-mbono yakhe njengeyimpikiswano kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi.
Ebheka i-atlas ngo-1910, u-Wegener wacabangela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi izimo zamazwekazi zihlangane ngokuzenzakalelayo. Kamuva waphetha ngokuthi ahlangana ndawonye ukuze akhe izwekazi elilodwa lasendulo elaziwa ngokuthi iPangea, okuyigama lesiGreki elisho 'umhlaba wonke'. Ngokusobala, indawo eqinile yePangea yahlukana yaba amazwekazi anamuhla cishe Iminyaka eyi-250 kuya kwengama-200 million.
Umqondo wethesis uhlobene nezinkambu ezintathu zesayensi: i-biology, i-paleontology kanye ne-geology. Wachaza ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo emazwekazini ahlukaniswe izilwandle; iphinde ifane nezinsalela ze-mesosaur ezitholakala eNingizimu Afrika naseBrazil. Le thesis iphinde yaqinisekisa ukwakheka okufanayo kokwakheka komhlaba okutholakala emazwenikazi ahlukene, iphakamisa ukuthi iCape Fold Belt yaseNtshonalanga Kapa yaseNingizimu Afrika ngaphambilini yayixhunywe eSierra de la Ventana e-Argentina.
Ososayensi abaphambili bawuphikisa kakhulu umbono kaWegener ngoba wawungasikiseli ukuthi yimaphi amandla athile abangela ukuba amazwekazi akhukhulwe.. UWegener wavuma ukuthi lokhu kugxeka kwakunobulungiswa; wabhala ngo-1929 ukuthi 'inkolelo-mbono kaNewton ye-continental drift' yayingakazalwa. Kwathatha eminye iminyaka engu-30 ngemva kokufa kuka-Wegener, eneminyaka engu-50, ukuze umbono wakhe ube osemthethweni. Lona unyaka lapho umphakathi we-geophysical waqinisekisa khona ukukhukhuleka kwamazwekazi ngokusebenzisa ama-plate tectonics.
Yayinjani impilo ePangea?
Isimo sezulu sasifudumele futhi ukuphila kwakuhluke ngokuphelele kulokho esikwaziyo namuhla. ezihuquzelayo like Shringasaurus indicus, eyaziwa kangcono ngokuthi i-allokotosaurus, yayihlala endaweni manje ebizwa ngokuthi i-India futhi yayibonakala ngokuba nezimpondo ezimbili ezingaphambili nobude bomzimba obuphakathi kwamamitha angu-3 no-4. Amabhungane okuqala nama-cicadas nawo avela, futhi izilwane ezihuquzelayo eziningi zakhula ekuqaleni kweTriassic. Kukholakala futhi ukuthi zazikhona izibankwakazi ePangea, kungenzeka ukuthi babengabokuqala ukuhamba emhlabeni.
Ngethemba ukuthi lolu lwazi mayelana nePangea lube usizo kuwe.