Forest cypress 50,000 years old intact at the bottom of the sea

The intact forest from the ice age was found off Alabama, USA, revealing a prehistoric Earth scene.

The underwater cypress forest dates from the ice age more than 50,000 years ago when the sea level is 120m lower than today, according to the documentary "The Underwater Forest" by environmental reporter and filmmaker Ben Raines. . The undersea forest off the Gulf Shores, Alabama, USA, in the Gulf of Mexico, Live Science reported on July 19.

Raines knew about the forest through the story of Chas Broughton, owner of a local dive shop. A few years ago, Broughton was the first to discover the forest offshore 20km from Mobile, Alabama, about 18m from the sea. When diving down to take a closer look, Broughton saw the massive trees reaching high in the ancient riverbed, which were deep in the seabed. Like coral reefs, the stems become homes for thousands of different species of marine life.

Scientists sample trees for analysis.(Video: YouTube).

Raines collaborated with meteorologist Kristine DeLong at the University of Louisiana to learn about the forest, while trying to preserve this natural wonder. The first scientific expedition to the area took place in 2012. After that, DeLong and his colleagues continued to explore the secrets of the forest. Unique conditions help preserve the forest in a perfect state. It is said to be the only ice age forest in the world to be preserved in the world , hidden deep under the sea.

Cypress usually decomposes after about 10,000 years. But in the region, cypress trees that last much longer thanks to sediments include mud and sand that have low oxygen levels, which help prevent bacteria from decomposing wood, DeLong explained. Ancient giant cypress forest is so fresh that many stalks still leak out when cut. Most of the trunk is covered with anemones and fish. The most recent plants grew from 50,000 years ago, turning the forest into the world's oldest underwater forest.

While regional analysis, the tree-dating experts, geologists and paleontologists of the DeLong group gathered rare information about the ice age climate, rainfall, insects and plants. , contributing to building a new perspective on the Earth before people settled.

The team quickly identified the cypress tree species that grow in the marshy freshwater marshes to help the plant stand firmly in the mud similar to the trees that grow along the current Gulf of Mexico. They analyzed the tree core for analysis by Grant Harley, a plant researcher at the University of Southern Mississippi. All growth rings, sap and wood fibers can still be seen clearly on the tree."When you poke a saw through a specimen, you can smell plastic like you're cutting a fresh wood today , " Harley said.

Initially, scientists believed that the 10,000-year-old forest was based on the depth of the area, but the results of determining the age of carbon deposits around the forest indicate that the forest dates back to more than 50,000 years. before.

Under a microscope, the rings grow thinner in modern cypress trees, proving that plants are subject to higher environmental pressures. Today's trees have stable growing conditions, so they often have thicker and more regular tree rings.

The trunk is still rusty when cut.(Photo: YouTube).

Tree data revealed all cypress trees in the forest that grew and died over a period of 500 years, with periods of pressure.They die at the same time . The team also tried to analyze chalk from sediment near the trees and found the environment changed quite suddenly.

In the peak period of development, the river delta formed from grassland, then gave way to cypress forests. As sea level rises, grassland gradually enters the interior. The grass was close to the edge of the water and retreated to the shore, before the sea level swept up the entire forest.

The team is still exploring more about the ancient climate in this ice age. But like all things under the ocean, the lifespan of the submerged forest is not long. If storms and tides continue to expose the forest, it will gradually be corroded by galaxies and bacteria, Raines said.

Researchers are working with federal agencies such as the US National Oceanic Energy Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to turn the site into a marine protected area.