Allarød gytja discovery proves climate oscillation. In 1901, Harts and Milthers discovered a 30cm (about 1 foot) thick gytja layer at Allerød, Denmark Gytja is dark, oxygen-rich mud rich in organic nutrients that forms in marshes and lakes The gytja layer was sandwiched between glacial clay deposits below and above
Harts and Milthers found a 30cm layer of gytja at Allerød, Denmark — sandwiched between glacial clay deposits. The gytja contained birch trees and juniper, proving milder conditions existed between two cold periods. This established the cold-warm-cold oscillation pattern we now call the Older and Younger Dryas.
Key Facts
- In 1901, Harts and Milthers discovered a 30cm (about 1 foot) thick gytja layer at Allerød, Denmark
- Gytja is dark, oxygen-rich mud rich in organic nutrients that forms in marshes and lakes
- The gytja layer was sandwiched between glacial clay deposits below and above
- The gytja indicated climate amelioration - it cannot form under full Arctic conditions
- The flora in the gytja included birch trees and juniper, showing milder climate than the glacial clays
- This discovery established the climate oscillation pattern: cold-warm-cold
Source: Speak To The Earth and It Shall Teach Thee: Younger Dryas Series S1E4 by The Randall Carlson