Ancient Underwater Forest found 10 miles from coast of Ala.

[dixiegrrrrl]

MOBILE, Ala. — An ancient forest found 60 feet underwater about 10 miles offshore of Alabama is much older than originally thought.

Al.com collected samples of the trees during a scuba diving expedition to the forest. Those samples were sent to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for radiocarbon dating and found to be more than 50,000 years old.

Scientists who examined the trees remarked on how well preserved the wood was. Cut into a piece and the unmistakable aroma of newly sawn cypress blooms up, despite millennia spent at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

More.............
http://www.wunderground.com/news/ancient-underwater-forest-found-alabama-20130317

[SunSeeker]

1. Very cool. I wonder what caused them to be buried. nt

[SoLeftIAmRight]

2. Sea level was about 150 feet lower back then

Ice age

[Arwinnick]

3. Currents will soon bury it again

This area was uncovered after a hurricane.The Gulf's currents will rebury it within 18 months.The sands shift greatly in the gulf stream currents.Divers and fishermen both report large fish populations around the old trees.Shrimpers are avoiding the area until the sandy bottom comes back.