Umchazamhlaba

Umchazamhlaba yisigaba solwazi oluphathelene nomhlaba esihlala kuwo nokuqonda izehlakalo zawo, umumo wawo nolwangu lwawo wawo, abahlala kuwo nesimongotho somhlaba. NgokoMchazamhlaba sibona "ukuhlukaniswa komhlaba" okuyizitho zomhlaba ezahlukahlukene. Lapho singabala khona ulwandle, umhlaba, izwekazi, umkhuluzwekazi ("super-continent"), izwe, isiqhingi ("island"), nokunye. Nakuba umchazamhlaba ugxile kakhulu eMhlabeni, kodwa izicabango eziningi zawo zingasetsuenziswa nakweminye ImiZulane. Umchazamhlaba uluqeqesho okudala lwaba khona, kusuka endulo lapho abantu bezama ukuqonda indawo ebazungezile. AbaseBhabhiloni bazama ukuqonda umhlaba ngokudweba ibalazwe lawo. UEratosthenes waseCyrene, uyena obukwa njengengqalabutho yomchazamhlaba. Ukufika kwenkathi yokuvubukula kwenza umchazamhlaba wakhiqiza amabalazwe amaningi njengoba abahlwayi baseYurophu kwakudingeka badwebe amabalazwe ezindawo ezintsha abazihambele.

Izicabango eziyinhloko zomchazamhlaba zihlozinga isikhala, indawo, isikhathi nomlinganiso. Amagatsha ayinhloko omchazamhlaba wanamuhla ahlanganisa umchazamhlaba woqobo ihlozinge indawo yenvelo, umchazamhlaba womuntu ihlozinge endleleni abantu abananayo ngayo noMhlaba, nomchazamhlaba wobuchule uhlozinga ekuthuthukisweni kwezinsiza zokuqonda umchazamhlaba. Ubuchule obusetshenziswayo lapho kucwaningwa kwezomchazamhlaba buhlanganisa umchazabalazwe, ukuhlonga uqhelile, inhlolombono, nokuhloizwe.

Izinhlobo zoMhlabasiqu

Izinhlobo zomhlabasiqu ziyizinhlobo zezinto ezenziwa wumhlaba, njengamagquma, izintaba, izigodi, njalonjalo. Nanti ezinye izibonelo ngezansi:

amaKhwanguqele ("aeolian islands")

amaThungulu ("coasts")

iMvuthuluka ("erosion")

iGudlumfula ("fluvial erosion")

amaGadlazwana ("impact landforms")

imiGede ("karsts")

amaShezi ("sedimentary rock formations")

iziNtaba

iziThambeka ("slopes")

amaZabazaba ("tectonic plates")

iziNtshaba/iziNtabamlilo ("volcanoes")

uKhazenza ("cryogenic weathering")

uZulenza ("weathering")