Bukkehammartjørna
Encyclopedia
Bukkehammartjørna is a small lake
in eastern Jotunheimen
. This is the highest lake that
has been investigated as a climate
archive in southern Norway, being situated 1594 m a.s.l.
A small glacier, Bukkehåmmårbreen, is draining melt water into the lake at present. This glacier
reformed just short of 6000 years ago following the Holocene
climate optimum and has existed continuously since. After growing gradually towards 4000 years before present (BP) the glacier has been of near present size over the last 4000 years, growing slightly larger over the last 2-2,500 years.
Prior to the climate optimum and following the deglaciation the glacier melted some 10,000 years before present.
The flat valley-shoulder that the lake is eroded into is locally known as a "fly". This particular level at about 1600 m a.s.l. and is believed to be formed between 100 and 85 million years ago during the Cretaceous
period. Standing on the shore-line of Bukkehåmmårtjørna thus mean that you are standing on the remnants of a landscape that the Dinosaur
s ruled.
The small lake existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum
since it contains organic material older than 30,000 years old. Currently being reassessed, growing evidence now indicates that much of the landscape that can be seen from this site is practically unchanged since the age of the Mammoth
who lived on the vide plateaus more than 40,000 years ago.
The view from the lake, or higher up on the mountain-peak Høgdebrotet therefore includes a view into the landscapes of the distant past, including the landscape of the dinosaurs, the pre-ice age landscape, the landscape of the Mammoth during the last glacial period. By squinting your eyes and imagining the present forest-limit below, located some 300 m higher than at present and by imagining the glaciers of Leirungsalpene being absent you can also see the landscape as it was 7000 years ago.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in eastern Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
. This is the highest lake that
has been investigated as a climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
archive in southern Norway, being situated 1594 m a.s.l.
A small glacier, Bukkehåmmårbreen, is draining melt water into the lake at present. This glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
reformed just short of 6000 years ago following the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
climate optimum and has existed continuously since. After growing gradually towards 4000 years before present (BP) the glacier has been of near present size over the last 4000 years, growing slightly larger over the last 2-2,500 years.
Prior to the climate optimum and following the deglaciation the glacier melted some 10,000 years before present.
The flat valley-shoulder that the lake is eroded into is locally known as a "fly". This particular level at about 1600 m a.s.l. and is believed to be formed between 100 and 85 million years ago during the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period. Standing on the shore-line of Bukkehåmmårtjørna thus mean that you are standing on the remnants of a landscape that the Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s ruled.
The small lake existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
since it contains organic material older than 30,000 years old. Currently being reassessed, growing evidence now indicates that much of the landscape that can be seen from this site is practically unchanged since the age of the Mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
who lived on the vide plateaus more than 40,000 years ago.
The view from the lake, or higher up on the mountain-peak Høgdebrotet therefore includes a view into the landscapes of the distant past, including the landscape of the dinosaurs, the pre-ice age landscape, the landscape of the Mammoth during the last glacial period. By squinting your eyes and imagining the present forest-limit below, located some 300 m higher than at present and by imagining the glaciers of Leirungsalpene being absent you can also see the landscape as it was 7000 years ago.