Question
A Snapshot in Time
Earth and Space Science Studies: Dynamics of Earth's Structure
Southern Vermilion County, Illinois, seems like an odd place to find a rainforest. After all, the area is covered in windswept flatlands. Yet that is where coal miners working near Georgetown have unearthed the remains of a fossilized rainforest.
The rainforest is more than 200 feet (61 meters) below ground. It is just above the Riola and Vermilion Grove coal mines. The forest dates back 307 million years to the ancient Pennsylvania Age. At 15 square miles (24 square km), it is the largest full rainforest from that period ever studied.
"We never [found] one whole forest preserved in one shot like this," said Scott Elrick of the Illinois State Geological Survey.
The fossils are the remains of one of the world's first rainforests. It was alive during the Pennsylvania Age. That's when vast rainforests, swamps, and deltas covered much of the eastern and midwestern U.S. Their plant life and climates created ideal conditions for the formation of coal. The region's coal was formed from the dead vegetation of ancient rainforests. Therefore, it is common to find small pockets of fossilized plants just above coal mines.
However, the case of the Vermilion rainforest is unusual. That's because at some point, experts say, a fault line that runs through the area triggered a major earthquake. The quake quickly sank the forest beneath a layer of mud and preserved it.
"What [scientists are] looking at is very rapid preservation of this forest," said Ian Glasspool. Glasspool works at Chicago's Field Museum. The rapid preservation allowed plant tissue to be preserved in great detail, rather than being broken down over time. "It's a snapshot in time," Glasspool said.
Elrick and other researchers discovered the forest in the early 2000s. They drove deep underground into the mines in armored vehicles. Then they walked along miles of seven-foot-high (2.1-meter-high) passages. Team members spent most of their time looking up to where they predicted the fossils of the ferns, mosses, and trees were located. That's because ancient vegetation is now coal.
With the discovery of the ancient plant life, scientists have a picture of what the rainforest was like. It was mostly a jungle, Elrick said, but with larger plants and mosses as big as trees. The weather was very different from the temperate climate in Illinois today.
"It would be hot, extremely humid, really uncomfortable to be standing around there," Elrick said. "Something out of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World."
Researchers did not find much evidence of animal life. However, they have uncovered the remains of a eurypterid. The six-foot-long, lobster-like creature would have crawled out of the Absaroka Sea. The sea covered parts of the continent at various periods in ancient times.
Elrick and the other researchers continued documenting what was above the Vermilion County mines. They drew and took pictures. They made notes. They also studied slabs of rock taken from the mine. However, the mines are now sealed. And part of the fossil chamber has collapsed. "Unfortunately, it will never be a 'visitable' museum," Elrick said. He added that the size of the forest would make it difficult to describe to the public with words and pictures. "We try to document...what we see and take notes.... It's sort of like asking people to go to New York City and describe every storefront in a day."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Compare and contrast what Illinois is like today with what it was like when the rainforest was present. Cite examples from the readings to support your comparison. Also cite examples from what you may already know.
Type your answer in the box below.
short answer
Earth and Space Science Studies: Dynamics of Earth's Structure
Southern Vermilion County, Illinois, seems like an odd place to find a rainforest. After all, the area is covered in windswept flatlands. Yet that is where coal miners working near Georgetown have unearthed the remains of a fossilized rainforest.
The rainforest is more than 200 feet (61 meters) below ground. It is just above the Riola and Vermilion Grove coal mines. The forest dates back 307 million years to the ancient Pennsylvania Age. At 15 square miles (24 square km), it is the largest full rainforest from that period ever studied.
"We never [found] one whole forest preserved in one shot like this," said Scott Elrick of the Illinois State Geological Survey.
The fossils are the remains of one of the world's first rainforests. It was alive during the Pennsylvania Age. That's when vast rainforests, swamps, and deltas covered much of the eastern and midwestern U.S. Their plant life and climates created ideal conditions for the formation of coal. The region's coal was formed from the dead vegetation of ancient rainforests. Therefore, it is common to find small pockets of fossilized plants just above coal mines.
However, the case of the Vermilion rainforest is unusual. That's because at some point, experts say, a fault line that runs through the area triggered a major earthquake. The quake quickly sank the forest beneath a layer of mud and preserved it.
"What [scientists are] looking at is very rapid preservation of this forest," said Ian Glasspool. Glasspool works at Chicago's Field Museum. The rapid preservation allowed plant tissue to be preserved in great detail, rather than being broken down over time. "It's a snapshot in time," Glasspool said.
Elrick and other researchers discovered the forest in the early 2000s. They drove deep underground into the mines in armored vehicles. Then they walked along miles of seven-foot-high (2.1-meter-high) passages. Team members spent most of their time looking up to where they predicted the fossils of the ferns, mosses, and trees were located. That's because ancient vegetation is now coal.
With the discovery of the ancient plant life, scientists have a picture of what the rainforest was like. It was mostly a jungle, Elrick said, but with larger plants and mosses as big as trees. The weather was very different from the temperate climate in Illinois today.
"It would be hot, extremely humid, really uncomfortable to be standing around there," Elrick said. "Something out of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World."
Researchers did not find much evidence of animal life. However, they have uncovered the remains of a eurypterid. The six-foot-long, lobster-like creature would have crawled out of the Absaroka Sea. The sea covered parts of the continent at various periods in ancient times.
Elrick and the other researchers continued documenting what was above the Vermilion County mines. They drew and took pictures. They made notes. They also studied slabs of rock taken from the mine. However, the mines are now sealed. And part of the fossil chamber has collapsed. "Unfortunately, it will never be a 'visitable' museum," Elrick said. He added that the size of the forest would make it difficult to describe to the public with words and pictures. "We try to document...what we see and take notes.... It's sort of like asking people to go to New York City and describe every storefront in a day."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Compare and contrast what Illinois is like today with what it was like when the rainforest was present. Cite examples from the readings to support your comparison. Also cite examples from what you may already know.
Type your answer in the box below.
short answer
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Today, Illinois is characterized by a temperate climate, dominated by flatlands, agricultural fields, and urban developments. The state's landscape is largely shaped by modern human activities, including farming and urbanization. In contrast, during the time of the ancient rainforest, specifically in the Pennsylvania Age, Illinois was a lush, tropical rainforest environment characterized by extreme humidity and a warmer climate. Scott Elrick describes the ancient scenario as "hot, extremely humid, really uncomfortable to be standing around there," highlighting the stark difference from today’s climate.
Moreover, the current Illinois lacks the diverse prehistoric plant life that thrived in this rainforest, which included large ferns and mosses comparable in size to trees. The preserved fossils provide a snapshot of this ancient ecology, showcasing a rich biodiversity that is absent in present-day Illinois due to extensive deforestation and development.
Additionally, while the modern landscape is primarily devoid of large prehistoric animals, evidence of some ancient life has been found; for instance, researchers have uncovered the remains of a eurypterid, a sea creature from the time. This contrasts sharply with today’s wildlife, further emphasizing the dramatic changes in both flora and fauna over millions of years.
In summary, Illinois today is marked by a temperate, developed landscape, while in the past, it was a thriving, tropical rainforest with a vastly different ecosystem.
Moreover, the current Illinois lacks the diverse prehistoric plant life that thrived in this rainforest, which included large ferns and mosses comparable in size to trees. The preserved fossils provide a snapshot of this ancient ecology, showcasing a rich biodiversity that is absent in present-day Illinois due to extensive deforestation and development.
Additionally, while the modern landscape is primarily devoid of large prehistoric animals, evidence of some ancient life has been found; for instance, researchers have uncovered the remains of a eurypterid, a sea creature from the time. This contrasts sharply with today’s wildlife, further emphasizing the dramatic changes in both flora and fauna over millions of years.
In summary, Illinois today is marked by a temperate, developed landscape, while in the past, it was a thriving, tropical rainforest with a vastly different ecosystem.