atlasobscura:The Dead Forests of Antarctica Despite being the most inhospitable place on the plan
atlasobscura: The Dead Forests of Antarctica Despite being the most inhospitable place on the planet however, recent scientific discoveries suggest that this forgotten continent – sometimes nicknamed the “Great White Desert” – may in fact have once been carpeted in forest. The discovery has come in the form of fossilized impressions of wood and leaves in the region of Antarctica’s Mount Achernar. Even the stumps of ancient tree trunks have been uncovered, believed to date back to prehistoric times… A period of warmer climate around 15 million years ago, known as the Miocene period, could have had areas of the Antarctic resembling the kind of forested tundra seen today in New Zealand or parts of Chile. Chemical study of the leaf wax samples indicates that during the summer months, the coast of Antarctica could have been as warm as 15°F. However, due to the extreme southern placement of the continent, even a warmer Antarctica would have been without light for months on end during the winter — while summer would have been one endless day. This raises the question of how plants were able to survive, the light required for photosynthesis being unavailable for months at a time. The answers, claims Patricia Ryberg, Assistant Professor of Biology with Park University, can be found by studying these fossilized tree samples; “because trees record physiological responses,” she explained to Live Science. During a recent research trip, Ryberg and her team collected samples from the fossilized wood in order to analyze the rings of these ancient trees. A pattern soon emerged in the cells, showing how the forests would grow upwards and outward before turning dormant for months at a time, storing carbon in their cells. For so much more on Antarctica’s forests, rich past, and a potential connection to Atlantis, keep reading on Atlas Obscura! -- source link