For a hundred years, a mysterious tree trunk has been floating vertically in Crater Lake in the state of Orgegon - and is driving everyone crazy. The 9 meter long log has become so famous that it is called the Grandfather of the Lake.
The hemlock tree trunk was first reported in 1902, when Crater Lake became a national park. Geologist Joseph Diller recalled seeing a log 6 years earlier.
Drawing "Grandfathers", published in 1938. & copy; Nature Notes from Crater Lake National Park, Vol. XI, No. 3 (September 1938).
Crushed and sunburned, Grandpa, which is 60 cm wide, rises 1.2 meters above the surface of the lake.
August 9, 2015. Ed Keith | Flickr
Crater Lake is the ninth deepest lake in the world, with a maximum depth of 594 meters. It is so deep that the Ostankino TV tower would fit into it.
The fast-moving tree stump, which scientists estimate at 450 years old, is constantly moving - the tree has swum thousands of kilometers since it was first seen.
Promotional video:
July 13, 2015. veisha | Flickr
Naturalist John Doerr spent three months following the movement of a log in 1938, noting that "Grandpa travels a lot, and sometimes surprisingly fast." From July 1 to September 30, Grandpa covered 100 kilometers, and on one particularly windy day - 6 kilometers.
Tourists come to Oregon specifically to see the unique phenomenon. “Grandpa is a character and a story, part of the park,” says biologist Scott Gerdner. - There is something soothing about him. It is carried by the wind, but not swayed by the waves."