Photo: AL.com
Posted on 07/13/2013 6:53:35 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Imagine swimming in an underwater primeval forest that nature has preserved for over 50,000 years. Now you can if you are willing to dive 60 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, 10 miles offshore of Alabama.
Experts believe 2005's Hurricane Katrina unveiled what had been buried under ocean sediment for centuries. And it took some curious fishermen to discover it by questioning why there so many fishing congregating in one area.
The discovery was made in 2012 but only recently became public knowledge. The find was confirmed when a dive team and experts from Louisiana State University took the 60 foot plunge and found a primeval cypress forest nearly one mile wide. The thriving eco system has stood devoid of oxygen for over 12,000 years. Some of the tree stumps found are half-a-mile in diameter. Scientists from Louisiana State tested some of the samples brought up by divers that proved to be 52,000 years old. That means these trees were probably thriving during an period earlier than the Ice Age. Incredibly researchers say the inside of the tree appears to still be hard.
That's the good news and now for the bad.
Experts believe the primeval forest has two years to survive now that it is exposed to the ravages of the sea that include burrowing sea life uprooting the ancient tree stumps. There are some fallen logs that are already covered by sea crustaceans.
What's next for the primeval underwater forest that is owned more by the sea than it is by the U.S. or Mexico is another mystery. Divers can only access this underground treasure 40 minutes at a time to derive any useful information.
Go for a dive and check out this Live Science video for yourself before its too late.
(Excerpt) Read more at hispanicallyspeakingnews.com ...
Photo: AL.com
The thriving eco system has stood devoid of oxygen for over 12,000 years. Some of the tree stumps found are half-a-mile in diameter.
Big tree... or else the reporter got it massively wrong (again).
Small forest, big trees. The level of journalism we have nowadays makes me shudder.
Seriously...
Typical reporters. I didn’t read the article so I can’t say if they claimed the sea level rose due to AGW or not.
half-a-MILE? Maybe a half-meter, but a half-MILE? A tree with a trunk over 2,600 FEET WIDE? Get the f*** out of town.
I guess we’ll see it on the new season of “Ax Men”.
On the other hand, I’ll bet there a lot of charter captains that ain’t to pleased at this becoming public knowledge.
Bob, if you were a j-school student, you’d know the correct term is “make me shutter.”
Curious as to why they are limited to 40 minutes???
Thanks for the post.
HUGH!
I want to see the stump that is “half-a-mile in diameter”.
Must be one of "Jack In the Beanstalk" trees...
...10 miles offshore of Alabama.
The thriving eco system has stood devoid of oxygen for over 12,000 years. Some of the tree stumps found are half-a-mile in diameter.
Scientists from Louisiana State tested some of the samples brought up by divers that proved to be 52,000 years old. That means these trees were probably thriving during an period earlier than the Ice Age. Incredibly researchers say the inside of the tree appears to still be hard.
...is owned more by the sea than it is by the U.S. or Mexico is another mystery.
So, if it is only a mile wide, and it is 10 miles offshore from Alabama, how in the heck does Mexico even figure into this?
And, if they were without oxygen for 12,000 years, but some of the trees are 52,000 years old, what happened to the other 40,000 years?
Finally, if some of the trees are a half mile wide, and the whole thing is only am mile wide, just how huge a forest could this be?
This report is more full of holes than swiss cheese.
Lack of resources.
Soon as they can link it to AGW or “Man Made Climate Change”, an application will be made (and approved) for a Government grant of taxpayer dollars to make further studies.
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