UMhlaba

**UMhlaba** (uphawu: ) ungumZulane wesithathu ozungeza iLanga futhi uwutho olusemkhathini olwaziwa njengoluqukethe ukuphila. Nakuba imithamo emikhulu yamanzi ifumaneka kuwo wonke uzungezohlelo lweLanga, nguMhlaba wodwa olondoloza amanzi anguketshezi. Amaphesenti angu-71% obuso boMhlaba agcwele ulwandle, okwenza amachopho eqhwa, amachibi nemifula kube kuncane. Amaphesenti asele angu-29% obuso boMhlaba angumhlababathi, ongamazwekazi neziqhingi. Igobohla loMhlaba liqukethe izingqweqwe zokuzabazaba eziningana ezidikizayo kancane, ezinananayo ukuze zikhiqize izintaba, Izintabamlilo nokuzamazama komhlaba.  Umnyombo woMhlaba osaketshezi uphehla isimo esisawonga esibumba iwongambulunga lomhlaba, eliphebeza izivungu zelanga eziyingozi nemiyonzi yomkhathi.

UMhlaba udilingene waba imbulunga enobundingiliza obungamakhilomitha ayizi-40,000. Ungumzulane osikhuhle kakhulu kuzungezohlelo lweLanga. Phakathi kwemizulane ehalabathi emine, yiwona omkhulu futhi oyisimuhluza. Ukukhanya kuthatha imizuzu eyisiphohlongo kuphela kusuka eLangeni, futhi kuthatha umMhlaba  izinsuku ezinsuku ezenza umnyaka (cishe izinsuku ezingama-365.25) ukuze uzungeze ngokuphelele iLanga. UMhlaba undiyaza ngamachopho awo isikhathi esenza usuku (amahora angama-23 nemizuzu engama-56). Amamchopho wokundiyaza koMhlaba alutsheku uma eqhathaniswa nokuqombotha kweLanga okwenza akhiqize izinkathi zonyaka ezingafani. UMhlaba uzungezwa iduna lawo lemvelo okuyiNyanga, ezungeza uMhlaba iqhele ngebanga elingamakhilomitha angama- 384,400 km. Umnyondo weNyanga ulekelela ukwenza amachopho woMhlaba azinze, ubangela amabuya futhi usililiza ukundiyaza koMhlaba. Ngokufanayo, ukudonsa komnyondo woMhlaba kwenza uzungezo lweNyanga lukhweqamabuya, okwenza ihlezi ibuke uMhlaba ngecala elilodwa.

uMhlaba utholakala kuzungezohlelo lweLanga njengezinye izindikimba nawo wakheka eminyakeni eyiyizigidinqindi ezi-4.5 ezedlule kusuka kuhowo nothuli olugcwele emkhathini. Ukwakheka kolwandlekazi kanye neziphili kwenzeka eminyakeni eyizigidinqindi zokuqala zomlando woMhlaba. Impilo yasakazeka kwimbulunga yonke futhi iyona iyaguqula umoyambulunga woMhlaba nobuso bawo, nokwaholela kusehlakalo sokuqala esibizwa UkuThuhleka OkuKhulu eminyakeni eyizigidinqindi ezimbili ezedlule. Abantu bokuqala bavela kuZwekazi i-Afrika eminyakeni eyizi-300,000 edlule futhi basakazekela kuwo wonke amaZwekazi oMhlaba. Abantu bacakathe kumpilombulunga kanye nezinsizakusebenza zemvelo ukuza baqhubeke nokuphila. Kodwa indlela abantu abakhinyabeza ngayo isimo soMhlaba nempilombulunga, kusongela impilo yabantu nezinye iziphili ezinhlobonhlobo, okwenza ezinye zazo zishabalale.

## Umlando woMhlaba

### Ukwakheka kwawo

Izindikimba zozungezohlelo lweLanga zabumbeka Kanye neLanga. Ngokomchachiso, umQongo weLanga wehlukanisa wakhipha umthamo wefu lomzwayi  ngokowohloka komnyondo, bese liqala ukumpimpiliza libe yisicaba *(circumstellar disk)*, khonake luqale kukhule ImiZulane kulo Kanye neLanga.  Ngokuvamile umQongo uqukatha uhowo, izinhlamvu zeqhwa, nothuli lomkhathi.

### Emva kokubumbeka

Umoyambulunga woMhlaba nezilwandlekazi zabumbeka ngobuqhebeqhebe bentshaba nokutshaka kohowo. Umhwamuko wamanzi ovela kulemithombo wajiyeka kwaba zilwandlekazi, ezanezelelwa amanzi neqhwa elivela kumihlatshana namabhaqanyezi. Kungenzeka futhi uMhlaba wawunamanzi anele kwasekubumbekeni kwawo. Ngokwalolo nongo, uhowo lomoyambulunga yilona elagxina amanzi ezilwandlekazi eqandile  ukuze angashiswa iLanga elalingwangwaza ngamaphesenti angama-70. Ngokufanayo, iwonga lomhlaba nalo lase libumbekile ukuze livimbele umoyambulunga ekobukeni wobulwa izivungu zeLanga.

### Ingomuso

Ingomuso loMhlaba lixhomeke kulelo leLanga. Eminyakeni eyizigidinqindi ezayo ukungwangwaza kweLanga kuzokhula ngamaphesenti ayi-10% eminyakeni eyizigidinqindi ezi-3.5 ngamaphesenti angama-40. Futhi ngenxa yongwangwaza okukhulayo amazinga wokushisa woMhlaba azokhuphika kakhulu, amanzi ezilwandlekazi azoshamuka wonke aphele.

ILanga nalo lizokhula liphenduke iqhakamela elibomvu. Izinongo eziningi zibikezela ukuthi iLanga lizokhukhumala izikhathi eziphindwa ngama-250 zobukhulu balo manje.

## Izinkondolo zomhlaba

### Ubungako nobumo

UMhlaba unobumo obuyimbulunga, ngenxa yenqubo ebizwa *(hydrostatic equilibrium)*, ngobulungangoni obungamakhilomitha ayizi, okuwenza kube umZulane wesihlanu omkhulu ngobungako nendikimba enkulu ehlabathi kuzungezohlelo lweLanga.

Ngenxa yokundiyaza koMhlaba, umumo wawo usabukhophelana, futhi uqumbile enkabazweni. Umumo woMhlaba uphinde ube nemigoxigoxi ehlukahlukene efana nomhlehlebulo kaMariana, ojule ngamagxathu ayizi-35,843 ukwehla, bese intaba iEverest enkulu yona iphakeme ngamagxathu ayizi-29,029.

## Amaphatho