Seeing a log floating on the waters of a river is nothing new.
But those who visit Crater Lake National Park, in Oregon, can
admire an unusual phenomenon.
The trunk that appears
stands vertically
as if its roots were anchored to the bottom.
Its height, nine meters
, does not cover the depth of the lake.
The first to spot the woody navigator, which protrudes about 1.2 meters above the surface and can support the weight of a standing man, was the geologist and explorer Joseph Diller in 1902.
The enormous piece is nicknamed
“the old man of the lake”
and
has been plying the waters of the lake for almost 130 years
.
Several scientists have studied it since its discovery in 1896, but they have not yet found the explanation for
a phenomenon that completely defies the laws of physics.
The first to spot the woody navigator, which
protrudes about 1.2 meters above the surface and can support the weight of a standing man
, was the geologist and explorer Joseph Diller.
In 1902, Diller published the first scientific article about the “old man of the lake,” where he explained that the log had traveled about 400 meters during the five years following the sighting.
According to a later study, the trunk accelerated its pace between July 1 and September 30, 1938 and
advanced almost 100 kilometers in just three months thanks to the impulse of currents and winds.
Although most of its volume is submerged, the Old Man of the Lake can move even against the wind.
Although it has most of its volume submerged, the Old Man of the Lake
can move even against the wind
, according to employees of the National Park where it is located.
Tests indicate that the trunk is 450 years old
Tests carried out with Carbon 14 showed that
the trunk is at least 450 years old.
Crater Lake was formed about 7.7 billion years ago after the collapse of the Mount Mazama volcano.
Tests carried out with Carbon 14 showed that the trunk is at least 450 years old.
The water reserve, which today is part of a natural park of the same name, is currently about
592 meters deep, making it the deepest in the United States and the ninth in the world.
There is little life inside: hardly any algae or plant species grow, and there is no sediment in the soil, hence the dark blue color of its waters.
One of its few inhabitants, a species of moss from the genus
Fontinalis sp.
which
grows about 120 meters deep,
also lives in the mysterious trunk, which suggests that the wood had to
be in contact with deeper waters in the last 120 years.
But the million dollar question is: how does he manage to stay upright?
One of its few inhabitants, a species of moss from the genus Fontinalis sp.
which grows about 120 meters deep, also lives in the mysterious trunk, which suggests that the wood had to be in contact with deeper waters in the last 120 years.
There is no definitive theory, but scientists have developed different hypotheses.
Some suggest that when it fell into the water more than a century ago,
the roots of the trunk became loaded with stones
whose weight would have kept it in that position.
The problem is that there are currently
no rocks, which discredits this idea.
Others point out that, over time, the submerged part of the wood
would have gained density and increased weight
while the aerated area has remained dry all these years.
There is no evidence for this hypothesis and as Park ecologist Mark Buktenica says,
"I'm fine not knowing."
For those responsible for the national reserve, the old log “has personality and a history that is already part of the park.”
The emerged area of the trunk remains relatively dry, and increasingly
whitish due to the effect of sunlight
.
For now, he continues sailing on the waters indifferent to the expectation he creates among his admirers.
For those responsible for the national reserve, the old log
“has personality and a history that is already part of the park.”
GML