Climate cycles
Gee -- it used to really warm and then it got cold and now it's getting warm again.
From
Juneau Empire:
Ancient trees emerge from frozen forest 'tomb'
The Mendenhall Glacier�s recession is unveiling the remains of ancient forests that have remained frozen beneath the ice for up to 2,350 years.
UAS Professor of Geology and Environmental Science Program Coordinator Cathy Connor said she and others have been tracking the emergence of the forests� remains. Some stumps and logs can be found in the moraines around the west side of the glacier. Some remain vertical, frozen to the ground in ice caves. Some are scoured smooth; some still have their bark. All are packed with silt in the outer layers.
A bit more:
The most recent stumps she�s dated emerging from the Mendenhall are between 1,400 and 1,200 years old. The oldest she�s tested are around 2,350 years old. She�s also dated some at around 1,870 to 2,000 years old.
�We�re seeing the Mendenhall wax and wane through time a little bit,� Connor said.
So the glacier waxes and wanes through time but this most current waning is a direct result of catastrophic anthropogenic global warming. Yeah. Really.
Posted by DaveH at September 21, 2013 12:29 PM