Contributing Monkie G Living Staff Monkies
Published on April 21, 2008
Escapology is the art of freeing something from restraint. From Harry Houdini to Criss Angel, many performers have made a name for themselves using their amazing abilities to make things (including themselves) disappear.
But it seems global warming has topped them all by making an entire lake vanish.
According to the Associated Press, “Melting ice in southern Chile caused a glacial lake to swell and then empty suddenly, sending a ‘tsunami’ rolling through a river.” And experts say there were no smoke or mirrors involved.
According to Gino Casassa, a scientist specializing in glaciers, the earth’s increased temperatures caused the Colonia glacier to melt earlier this month. The water then filled the region’s Cachet Lake, all the while causing a growth of pressure on the ice sheet. Within three days, the water had hollowed out a massive 5-mile tunnel through the glacier and deposited itself into the Baker River.
Casassa told the Associated Press that in doing so, the water had actually traveled against the river’s current. “It was a real river tsunami.” He added that he felt the unusually high temperatures were to blame for the event. “This is a phenomenon that occurs periodically during the summer season, caused by the melting of large masses of ice that swell some lakes,” he said. “The basic cause is global warming.”
Luckily, no one was injured during the lake’s sudden exodus. And after a few days, like any good escapologist, the water had returned to the lake, which was once again “nearly full”.
Let’s just hope our oceans aren’t planning to top this feat. Unless, of course, David Blaine’s behind it. That would be pretty cool.
(from the Associated Press via The Bakersfield Californian)