This is a specter forest near Seward , Alaska . It ’s not the only one — ghost forest are find on coastlines up and down the Pacific Northwest . But how are they make ?
shade forests are the long - save souvenir of terrific events : the sudden cave in of an entire coastline after a major earthquake quickly submerse the forest . The saltwater incursion into the woods both pop the tree diagram and help preserve them , while the boring trapping of clay , muck , and saltwater - friendly flora slowly builds unexampled land around the eerie woods that used to be .
Destructive earthquakes come in two major varieties : those that move horizontally , like the transverse geographical zone earthquake in California , and those that move vertically , like the subduction geographical zone megaquakes of the Pacific Northwest , Chile , Japan , and New Zealand . In subduction geographical zone , two tectonic plates are lento colliding together at about the same rate your fingernails grow , ramp up stress . While the fault is operate in spot , the focus builds by warping the upper plate , buckling it upwards . When the earthquake in the end strikes , unblock the stress , the upper crustal plate flap down down and out , chop-chop submerging the coast . seawater rushes into the subsided acres , poison all the plant . Over time , the now - dead forest can trap sediments , helping create new land colonized by more salinity - friendly marsh plants .
This picky ghost timber near Seward , Alaska was submerge during themagnitude 9.2 earthquake that run into Alaska in 1964 . Other location with well - maintain ghost forests includeCopalisin Washington andNeskowinin Oregon . Similarghost forests near Vancouver Island in British Columbiatend to still be drowned , found only through pigboat surveys .
reach out to the author at[email protected]or keep abreast her at@MikaMcKinnon .
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