Climate archaeologists studying submerged cedar stumps in the Cascadia subduction zone have pinpointed a massive earthquake and tsunami around 900 CE. This event caused sudden land subsidence, drowning entire forests and creating 'Ghost Forests' that have preserved precise tree-ring data for over a millennium.
The study links this environmental catastrophe to a sudden shift in Indigenous trade patterns, specifically the movement of obsidian and dentalium shells across the region. The data provides a rare glimpse into how prehistoric societies navigated sudden geological shocks, offering profound lessons for modern coastal resilience and disaster preparedness.