Submerged forest

A submerged forest is the in place (in situ) remains of trees (especially tree stumps) that lie submerged beneath a bay, sea, ocean, lake, or other body of water. A forest can become submerged as the result of a lake or sea level rise that results in a lacustrine or marine transgression and in place drowning of the forest. A submerged forest that lies beneath a lake can also be formed by the blockage of a river valley by either a landslide or manmade dam. Examples can be found at low tide on the fringes of the submerged landmass known as Doggerland, around the coast of England and Wales, the Channel Islands, north-west France and Denmark. These remains have usually been buried in mud, peat or sand for several thousand years before being uncovered by sea level change and erosion. In some places, such as Blackpool Sands, Dartmouth, the remains are normally covered by sand and only rarely exposed. During the Winter storms of 2013–14 in the United Kingdom extensive remains of submerged forests were revealed in a number places around the coast of Britain.