In Oregon, there lies something rather haunting: a natural look into the ancient past and possibly the future. In Neskowin, a small coastal town, an old forest was once buried beneath hundreds of years worth of sands. After being unearthed in 1998 due to a storm that eroded much of the beach away, these ancient tree stumps have become a permanent fixture on the coast.
The stumps of this ghost forest found under Neskowin Beach are estimated to be nearly 2,000 years old.
Flickr / Rob DeGraff
They were unearthed after a storm in 1998, which eroded much of coastline.
Flickr / loa bacon
It is believed that the forest was buried between the years 1680 and 1720 by a massive tsunami that enveloped the trees.
Flickr / loa bacon
Other evidence points to an earthquake that may have hit Oregon around the same time that would have caused massive landmass changes.
Flickr / loa bacon
No matter how it happened, it stands as a reminder that Mother Nature is nothing to mess with.
Flickr / Thomas Shahan
(via Amusing Planet)
What a beautiful and haunting reminder of the destructive (and redemptive) forces of nature.
