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A fossil forest that has been dormant for thousands of years: How are the ancient trees of Auxiliary Island preserved in the polar regions?
Yakes Bay Island is an uninhabited island located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Canada's Little Arctic, covering an area of approximately 43,178 square kilometers. This beautiful island hides a fossilized forest of ancient trees whose story dates back to the Paleocene Epoch, some 40 million years ago. Due to the special climatic conditions in the area, these trees were not completely fossilized, but underwent a preservation method called "mummification", which preserved the ecological environment at that time.
The fossil record on Yaxhay Island provides strong evidence that this forest was once a high-latitude wetland forest.
As well as being archaeologically interesting, the island of Yaxheiberg was also named after an expedition by explorer Otto Sverdrup between 1900 and 1901. The place was named after its patron at the time, Axel Heiberg. In the following decades, Yax Bay attracted the attention of many explorers and scientists, who conducted many studies of this icy land, especially in 1955, the Geological Survey of Canada Geologists have made their first ground-level observations of glaciers.
In 1960, McGill University established the McGill Arctic Research Station in the central Adventure Sound. This research station is still active today and focuses on polar geomorphology, geology, glaciology, permafrost, and climate change. and areas such as polar microbiology. The research team's findings not only enhance our understanding of life in extreme environments, but also provide valuable data for planetary exploration, especially for analog studies of Mars and its cold moon.
More than 40 million years ago, there was once a towering forest, with trees up to 35 meters high and probably growing for 500 to 1,000 years.
Over time, the forest died due to climate change, with fine sediments protecting the trees as they fell. The special climatic conditions here prevent the petrification process of these trees and instead leave them in a mummified state. In addition, recent research has shown that tree DNA extracted from Yax Bay Island is very similar to the DNA of modern trees, further demonstrating the uniqueness of the environment and its ecological value.
However, this unique ecosystem is also under threat. By 1999, people began to worry about the fossil forest on Yaxbay Island because the exposed ancient trees were extremely fragile and vulnerable to damage. There are reports that tourists take fossils with them when taking Arctic cruises, and even the activities of military helicopters have caused interference in this sensitive area. As concern grows, Nunavut begins exploring options to protect this unique forest, possibly through the establishment of a regional park called "Napaaqtulik" in the future.
This island not only has well-preserved trees, but also ancient animal fossils, such as extremely well-preserved ancient turtle fossils and bird bones.
In terms of glaciers, White Glacier is one of the famous glaciers on Yax Bay Island. With an ice thickness of more than 400 meters, it is one of the most important glaciers on earth. Research shows that the retreat rate of the White Glacier is slowing down, and its latest observational data provides valuable information on polar climate change. In the eastern part of Yax Bay Island, there is also a place called Lost Hammer Spring. It is the coldest and saltiest Arctic spring water discovered, and it is even regarded as Mars. The analogy research site of life.
Research on Yax Bay shows how to preserve organisms in extreme environments, which in turn reveals the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the potential for environmental adaptation. Facing the dual challenges of climate change and human activities, we need to reflect on how to protect these precious natural resources, and what measures will be most effective for future ecological protection?
