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Ancient people may have survived desert droughts by melting ice in lava tubes

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    9th Dec, 2020

During a parched summer almost 2,000 years ago, people living in what is now western New Mexico crawled into the cold, dark belly of a volcanically formed cave to melt the frozen water at its heart.

Context

  • During a parched summer almost 2,000 years ago, people living in what is now western New Mexico crawled into the cold, dark belly of a volcanically formed cave to melt the frozen water at its heart.

How the lava tubes helped in survival?

  • The ice preserved in the naturally cool formations might have helped people to survive.
  • The presence of charcoal suggested fire, and the presence of fire deep in an icy cavern suggested human activity.

What are Lava tubes?

  • Lava tubes are an empty space left behind by flowing lava, a relic of the area’s volcanically active past.
  • Far removed from their fiery beginnings, the caves retain a constant temperature around 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) that can preserve accumulating ice.
  • The cylindrical shape of the tubes causes cooler, denser air to sink toward the ground and push hotter, lighter air up and out.

Verifying, please be patient.

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