Melting Glacier Exposes Frozen Forest

The Mendenhall Glacier, which flows from the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field, has been retreating since the mid-1700s, according to the USDA Forest Service. But in the past 50 years, reports LiveScience, relics of an old forest have begun appearing amid the melted ice. In the past year or so, trees still upright and with roots and bits of bark still intact have been exposed by the retreating flow.

Researchers based at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) are studying the emerging forest; they have determined that the trees’ ages range from about 1,200 to 2,350 years old, reports the Juneau Empire. The trees are likely spruce, UAS geology professor Cathy Connor said, though this hasn’t been verified.

“There are a lot of them, and being in a growth position is exciting because we can see the outermost part of the tree and count back to see how old the tree was,” Connor told LiveScience. “Mostly, people find chunks of wood helter-skelter, but to see these intact upright is kind of cool.”

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