That underwater stump lived and died about 3000 years ago. Think about that. It's one ghost from a forest of many others that were drowned when a lava flow blocked this drainage, to create Clear Lake three millennia in the past. For reference, Rome was founded about 250 years later. The big springs in this basin must have been spectacular to the Native Americans living in the area, as surely they did, though they may have migrated to lower elevations for the winter. Gazing upon, and through, these crystalline waters seems to trigger an introspective chord in me. Think of what was lost in this event. Look at what was gained.
This is why I love geology.
Photo unmodified. October 9, 2014.
FlashEarth Location.
Interesting about that stump. I would think for it to be ancient, the water would have to be cold, depleted of oxygen, and covering the stump constantly. Sure it's not an old dock piling?
ReplyDeleteNot to make you wrong, but I just have to wonder.
Enjoy your blog, reading daily.
That water is indeed very cold, just a degree or two above freezing. There are quite a number of down logs and stumps visible from the dock; this one is just the closest. Radiocarbon dating of these trees is in part how the age of the lake was nailed down.
ReplyDeleteThanks for clearing that up Lockwood!
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