Terrified with the 'storm-calling' tree

While tying a log upright in the middle of Crater Lake in Oregon, USA, researchers were horrified to see a sudden wind storm come up, forcing them to remove it.

A log standing upright in the middle of Crater Lake. Photo: NPCA.

According to Earthables, a 30-foot-long floating log has been famous in Oregon for decades and has been dubbed “The Old Man of the Lake.” The first person to report the log in 1902 was geologist Joseph S. Diller. The log is 2.5 feet in diameter, protruding 4 feet above the water, with bark that is broken into many pieces and discolored by the sun.

In 1988, scientists launched a small submarine into Crater Lake to study geothermal activity. They decided to use a log as a compass and tied it to the abandoned Wizard Island in the middle of the lake. But the sky immediately darkened and a storm arose, scaring the team and forcing them to untie the log. The sky then cleared and the clouds dissipated. After the incident, many locals believed that the log had the ability to control the weather.

Dating back 450 years, the log appears to defy the laws of physics by staying upright while floating, having traveled thousands of miles since it was first spotted, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Naturalist John Doerr spent three months tracking the log’s movements in 1938. He noted that it traveled great distances and sometimes at great speeds. From July 1 to September 30, 1938, the log traveled more than 100 kilometers, and on a windy day, it traveled more than 6 kilometers.

Researchers believe the tree first broke off during a landslide at the lakeshore. It fell into the water, where soil and rocks mixed with the tree’s long, wide roots, which held the trunk in place. Logs of this type often float and then sink after a few years. But Old Man was an exception, and scientists have yet to find a cause. The log also did not rot or decompose.

Dave Grimes, a ranger at Crater Lake National Park, said the lake's cool, clear water helped preserve the log, while the denser wood floating on the water's surface allowed it to maintain its balance.

According to VNE