Ihlabathi lihlangabezene neentlekele eziliqela oko lathi labakho. Likho ixesha apho lakha lagutyungelwa ngokupheleleyo ngumkhenkce ihlabathi. Xa usemajukujukwini, lalikhangeleka njengeyona bhola yakha yankulu yekhephu.

Kwisithuba seminyaka ezizigidigidi ezibini ezinesiqingatha eyadlulayo, iintabamkhenkce^[1] zaqalisa ukushukuma, ziphuma kwiincam zehlabathi ezisemantla nasemazantsi., zijolise kuMbindi-mda^[2]. Ezi ntabamkhenkce zigubile, zatshabalalisa, amatye njengokuba zihamba, zityhala iimfumba ngeemfumba zamabibi zigraya kwalitye elisendleleni yazo, kanye oku kogandaganda omkhulukazi odilizayo.

Isijikelezi-langa, ihlabathi, sasibanda kwaye singumkhenkce oku kwelizwekazi i-Antarctica. Lo mkhenkce umhlophe-bumzuba, ukhazimlayo, wawuhlatywa yimitha yelanga, ibuyisele ifuthe lolophu emajukujukwini, ishiya ihlabathi lipholile. Iilwandle zazigqunywe ngumaleko ngomaleko womkhenkce zaza zayinkwankca ukubanda oku, zisithelisiwe elangeni nasemoyeni.

Iintabamlilo zathukuza ngaphaya kwaloo mkhenkce, zityekezela amasuntswana eKhabhoni-dayoksayidi emoyeni. Ngokommo, iKhabhoni-dayoksayidi inako ukudibana namatye itshintshe ubume bawo, kodwa ke amatye lawo ayegqunywe ngumkhenkce. Ngoko ke, emva kweminyaka  ngeminyaka, iKhabhoni-dayoksayidi yanda ngokwanda, ifudumeza isijikelezi-langa, ihlabathi. Ekugqibeleni ihlabathi lifudumele ngokwaneleyo, linyibilikisa umkhenkce nganeno kombindi-mda. Ukunyibilika komkhenkce kube lulutho ekufudumezeni isijikelezi-langa, ihlabathi, kuba kaloku lo mkhenkce nguwo ubuphindisela ubushushu belanga. Iintabamkhenkce zazinyibilika ngokukhawuleza nesijikelezi-langa saqala saphucuka ngokuphucuka.

Eli lixa livus’umxhelo, lokufudumala nokubanda kwehlabathi, lusabonakala kunangoku kumatye aseMntla-Koloni. Sinako ukubona amabibi kunye neengqalutye ezazityhalwa zezi Ntaba-mkhenkce. La matye aneempawu ezingaqhelekanga zemichiza, echaza indlela aguqu-guquka ngayo amaqondo obushushu.

[1] Intabamkhenkce – glacier
[2] Mbindi-mda – Equator