Credit: Pixabay/CC0 public domainThe mysterious lines found on the North Carolina Outer Banks' seafloor have been identified as "highly surprising" evidence that icebergs once dominated the East Coast.According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it is possible that the huge chunks of ice could have drifted as far as 5,000 miles away from Canada.The USGS posted on Facebook that "When you think about the Florida Keys icebergs probably are not the first thing that comes to mind." "But, over 30,000 years ago towering, brightly colored chunks of ice drifted from Canada to the Hudson Bay, passing Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and all the way down to the Florida Keys. These icebergs were huge. They measured approximately 300 meters in length and were comparable in size to the Eiffel Tower.Nature Communications published the research June 16th in Nature Communications. It used high-resolution oceanfloor mapping to locate nearly 700 iceberg "scours", which were plowed into seafloor. The lines look similar to ancient geoglyphs that were carved in Peru's Nazca Desert 2,000 years ago.According to The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution which collaborated with the USGS, they were found at depths of 557 feet and 1,246 feet.The USGS reported that a team of researchers set sail from South Carolina to find out why these icebergs were in unanticipated waters. They also extracted long, thin tubes of sand and mud from the seafloor."The radiocarbon dating of the tiny shells (foraminifera), in sediment was used by scientists to determine when the icebergs made their mark on the seafloor.According to the report, the timing of Heinrich Event 3 occurred around 31,000 years ago.The report says that one of the most intriguing aspects of the discovery was the fact that icebergs were moving south against the Gulf Stream. Researchers concluded that a brief, but large-scale flood of melted water was sufficient to move the ice.According to the study, the icy current helped the icebergs reach subtropical regions by allowing them to survive for long enough.According to Alan Condron (a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution climate modeling expert who collaborated with Jenna Hill, USGS geologist, the model shows that these icebergs become caught in the currents caused by glacial meltwater and then surf along the coast," he said.Condron stated that a large glacial lake dam can break and release huge amounts of freshwater into the ocean. This creates strong coastal currents which basically move the icebergs opposite to the Gulf Stream. It is not an easy task.According to the report, melting icebergs could have a significant impact on climate change. Researchers wrote that a glut of cold water carried north by the ocean current could "significantly reduce... the amount heat transported north (current) and increase the likelihood that Europe could become much colder."Continue exploring Icebergs that drift from Canada to Florida2021 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
