Lesi simo sigcwele izinto ezingavamile
Lapho isazi sokuma komhlaba saseBrithani uThomas Griffith Taylor eqala uhambo lwaso lwesibindi enqamula eMpumalanga ye-Antarctica ngo-1911, uhambo lwakhe lwahlangabezana nombono owesabekayo: unqenqema lweqhwa eligeleza igazi eligeleza kuwo. Ngemva kwekhulu leminyaka lokuqagela, imbangela ye-Blood Falls iye yatholakala.
Ososayensi base-US basebenzise ama-electronic microscopes anamandla ukuze bahlaziye amasampula amanzi e-Blood Falls futhi bathola insada yama-nanospheres anothe ngensimbi aba bomvu uma enziwe i-oxid.
“Ngokushesha nje lapho ngibheka izithombe zesibonakhulu, ngabona ukuthi kwakukhona lezi nanospheres ezincane, futhi zazicebile ngensimbi, futhi ngaphandle kwensimbi, kwakukhona izakhi eziningi ezihlukene kuzo - i-silicon, i-calcium, i-aluminium, i-sodium - futhi konke okuhlukene,” esho esitatimendeni uKen Leavy, usosayensi wocwaningo eMnyangweni Wezesayensi Yezinto Zokusebenza Nobunjiniyela e-Whiting School e-Johns Hopkins University.
Eyaziwa ngombala wayo obomvu ojulile, i-iron oxide kuze kube manje ibilokhu ingumsolwa oyinhloko kumfihlakalo ye-Blood Falls. Kodwa-ke, le ndlela ethuthukisiwe yokuthwebula isize abacwaningi bathole isithombe esicacile sokuthi kungani amanzi agelezayo enombala obomvu ogqamile - nokuthi kungani ezinye izifundo zangaphambilini zehlulekile.
“Ukuze abe amaminerali, ama-athomu kufanele ahlelwe ngendlela ecacile, ecwebezelayo. Lawa ma-nanospheres awawona ama-crystalline, ngakho-ke izindlela ebezisetshenziswa ukucwaninga izinto eziqinile aziwaboni,” kuchaza uLivy.
Umuntu angase acabange ukuthi amanzi ayo abomvu njengegazi ayisici esingavamile kakhulu se-Blood Falls yase-Antarctica, kodwa lesi sici sokwakheka komhlaba sigcwele izinto ezingavamile.
Ososayensi bathole ukuthi amanzi abomvu ageleza e-Blood Falls asuka echibini likasawoti elilokhu livaleleke eqhweni iminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-1.5 kuya kwezingu-4. Eqinisweni, leli chibi liyingxenye kuphela yesistimu engaphansi komhlaba enkulu kakhulu yamachibi e-hypersaline kanye ne-aquifer.
Ukuhlaziywa kwamanzi kubonisa ukuthi i-subglacial ecosystem yamagciwane ehlala ezindaweni ezingcwatshwe amanzi e-hypersaline - naphezu kokungabikho ngokuphelele komoya-mpilo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi amabhaktheriya aphikelela izigidi zeminyaka ngaphandle kwe-photosynthesis futhi cishe ayesekelwa ukuhamba ngebhayisikili ngensimbi evela ku-brine.
Uma kubhekwa lezi zakhiwo ze-otherworldly, ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi i-Blood Falls ingacwaningwa ukuze bathole ukuqonda okujulile kwamanye amaplanethi kwezinye izingxenye zesimiso sonozungezilanga.
“Ngokufika kwemishini yama-rover, kwaba nesithakazelo ekuzameni ukuhlaziya izinto eziqinile eziphuma emanzini e-Blood Falls njengokungathi indawo yokuma yaseMartian,” kusho uLeavy.
“Kungenzekani uma i-rover ifika e-Antarctica? Ingabe izokwazi ukuthola ukuthi yini eyenza i-Blood Falls ibe bomvu? Lona umbuzo othakazelisayo abacwaningi abaningi abaye bazibuza wona.”
Umthombo: iflscience.com
