Evidence Past Climate Change Happened in Hours
09-Nov-2003
Discovery of a 5,200 year old soft-bodied plant frozen in
glacial ice in Peru reveals evidence of a massive and long-
lasting climate change that happened amazingly quickly. In
order for the plant to have been quick-frozen rather than
killed by frost, it must have been covered by a massive
snowfall that took place over just a few hours. Since then,
the plant has remained frozen and has not been thawed,
meaning that once this snowfall took place, no melt occurred
for over five thousand years, until now. Is this evidence of a
past
Superstorm?
Scientists are working to understand the mechanism behind
what is being called an "astounding" finding. Historical data
indicates that there was a sudden worldwide climactic event
5,200 years ago, but until this discovery it had not been
realized that, at least in some areas of the world, it brought a
total transformation of climate from temperate to freezing in
perhaps as little as a few days, and that the change became
permanent.
If such an event were to happen again, it would cause
worldwide chaos and the deaths possibly of billions, and the
collapse of civilizations. Scientists are urgently seeking
answers in the ice fields of the Peruvian highlands.
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