Sometimes things become strange when we look at something for a long time and it suddenly disappears. Eventually, the same thing happened with the land bridge connecting Britain and Europe. Thousands of years ago, Britain and Europe were connected by a bridge, Doggerland. A variety of different natural environments existed across this large area; Many animals and plants can be found in abundance. Humans were present in this area for thousands of years; They hunted animals and built shelters in locations that would prove to be the most successful in the British Isles.According to reports, this ‘lost world’ began to disappear around 8,200 years ago, at the conclusion of the last ice age, as melting ice caused sea levels to rise upward, resulting in vast areas of marshy land drowning the forest. About 8,200 years ago, an exceptionally large submarine landslide occurred off the northern coast of Europe, resulting in a massive tsunami that affected many parts of the region, flooding all but a few areas that were still above water.
Why is Doggerland a climate warning for our future?
Understanding the extinction history of Doggerland is an important aspect of the potential adaptation of modern coastal communities to the effects of global warming in the present day. As noted in Smithsonian Magazine, it is estimated that sea levels rose about 6 feet every 100 years following the warming period at the end of the last ice age. According to the University of Sheffield, early Doggerlanders moved to high altitudes without difficulty; The population density and developed infrastructure of our current coastal populations today would severely limit their migration potential. As scientists study submerged peat and sediment layers in the North Sea, new models are being created to determine how rapidly our own coastlines could change. This ‘lost world’ shows that when the climate changes dramatically, the entire map of the world can be completely changed in just a few generations.
can this happen today
The answer is yes. Current climate models from the IPCC show that sea levels could potentially rise by several meters by 2300, echoing the same pattern that submerged Doggerland several years ago.
Can anyone go to Doggerland?
Although it is not possible to walk on Doggerland, the remains of Doggerland can be examined through artifacts and other remains of this lost land that are located around the world. Doggerland consists of land that lies 15-40 meters below the North Sea and is surrounded by the dangerous and dirty waters of this sea. The National Museum of Antiquities, located in the Netherlands, has an extensive collection of artifacts, such as mammoth teeth, flint tools and other unique objects that were recovered from the seabed in the North Sea.Additionally, people can visit Doggerland in digital format, as the University of Bradford is creating a series of 3D reconstructions that accurately depict the ancient hills, rivers and other parts of Doggerland that have been submerged beneath the sea for thousands of years.