Nelson: ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN,
A POPULAR BEACH SWALLOWS UP A CHILD...
...WITHOUT ANY SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION
FOR HIS SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE.
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SUCH A TERRIFYING INCIDENT,
AND ARE OTHERS STILL AT RISK?
Burns: WHOA. WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
HOLY MOLY.
AND IN RURAL PENNSYLVANIA,
A BIZARRE ICE CAVE UPENDS THE LAWS OF NATURE...
THIS IS REALLY UNUSUAL.
...MELTING IN THE WINTER AND FREEZING OVER IN THE SUMMER.
THIS IS REALLY COLD.
WILL OUR HIGH-TECH TOOLKIT...
ARE YOU GUYS READY?
...FINALLY SOLVE THE CENTURY-OLD RIDDLE?
WHOA!
IT'S DEFINITELY AN ACTIVE PIT.
BURIED DEEP BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE,
THERE ARE COUNTLESS UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.
AND TODAY, WE FINALLY HAVE THE TOOLS TO UNLOCK THEM.
THAT'S AMAZING.
p
IT'S SUPER DEEP!
I'M ROB NELSON, A SCIENTIST AND EXPLORER
INVESTIGATING OUR PLANET'S HIDDEN DEPTHS.
-GETTING DEEPER. -HOLY MOLY, STEFAN.
Nelson: AND HELPING ME UNCOVER THESE SUBTERRANEAN SECRETS
IS TECH SPECIALIST STEFAN BURNS.
OH, MY GOD. LOOK AT THAT!
Nelson: TOGETHER...
I GOT SOMETHING!
...WE ARE UNCOVERING NEW LEADS IN OUR QUEST
TO SOLVE EARTH'S MOST ENDURING MYSTERIES.
-THERE WE GO. -WHOO!
Nelson: THESE ARE THE SECRETS OF THE UNDERGROUND.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
ON THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN...
...SITS A UNIQUE NATURAL OASIS,
INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKE SHORE.
ARE WE GETTING CLOSE, STEFAN?
YEAH, JUST KEEP GOING STRAIGHT.
WHAT'S DRAWN STEFAN AND I TO THIS 15,000-ACRE COASTAL AREA
IS THE PRIDE OF THE PARK,
A 126-FOOT SAND DUNE RISING OFF THE BEACH CALLED MOUNT BALDY.
IT'S ON THIS GIANT SAND FORMATION THAT A FREAK ACCIDENT
CHANGED A FAMILY'S LIFE FOREVER.
IT'S A SITE WHERE SOMETHING REALLY UNUSUAL HAPPENED.
A 6-YEAR-OLD KID FELL INTO THE DUNES,
SWALLOWED UP BY THEM.
THE BOY WAS ON A FAMILY CAMPING TRIP,
BUT DURING A CASUAL HIKE UP THE DUNE WITH HIS FATHER,
HE SUDDENLY VANISHED.
THE ONLY EVIDENCE OF WHERE HE'D GONE
WAS A 12-INCH DIAMETER HOLE IN THE DUNE.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES WERE QUICK TO RESPOND
AND STARTED DIGGING WITH SHOVELS, BARE HANDS
AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY COULD FIND.
AFTER A 3 1/2 HOUR SEARCH,
THE BOY WAS FOUND ALMOST 11 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE WITH NO PULSE.
HIS PARENTS PREPARED FOR THE WORST,
BUT REMARKABLY, DOCTORS WERE ABLE TO REVIVE HIM,
AND 2 WEEKS LATER, HE WALKED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.
BUT TO MAKE THE TRAGIC EVENT EVEN MORE TERRIFYING,
NO ONE WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY HAD HAPPENED,
HOW A PUBLIC BEACH COULD SUDDENLY,
AND WITHOUT WARNING, SWALLOW UP A CHILD.
y
IT SEEMED TO DEFY ALL SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION.
THE THING I FIND SO INTERESTING ABOUT THIS
IS THAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SOMETHING
LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENING,
ESPECIALLY ON A SAND DUNE.
YEAH, THAT'S VERY BIZARRE.
GEOLOGICALLY, THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.
NEWS REPORTS CALLED IT A SINKHOLE,
BUT ACCEPTED SCIENCE SAYS SINKHOLES
DON'T NORMALLY FORM IN SAND.
THEY'RE OFTEN FOUND IN AREAS
WHERE THE EARTH IS LIMESTONE OR CARBONATE ROCK.
WHEN WATER HAS ERODED THAT MATERIAL,
THE GROUND SUDDENLY GIVES WAY,
BUT SAND, GRAINY AND MALLEABLE,
SHOULD JUST COLLAPSE IN ON ITSELF
AS ANY CAVITY STARTS TO FORM.
SO HOW ON EARTH DID A DUNE SWALLOW UP A 6-YEAR-OLD BOY,
AND IS THERE STILL A RISK THIS TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
COULD REPEAT ITSELF?
STEFAN AND I AIM TO FIND OUT.
WOW, LOOK AT THIS.
Burns: THIS DUNE IS AT LEAST, LIKE, 80 FEET TALL.
Nelson: IT'S, LIKE, SWALLOWING THOSE TREES.
THIS IS AMAZING.
WHEN IS THE RANGER SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?
THERE SHE COMES RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE ARRANGED TO MEET UP WITH NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BIOLOGIST,
LAURA BRENNAN,
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS LIVING LANDSCAPE.
BUT THESE DUNES ARE MOVING QUITE A BIT OVER THE PARKING LOT.
I CAN ACTUALLY REMEMBER WHEN I COULD WALK UP
TO THE BASE OF THOSE TREES RIGHT THERE.
REALLY? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?
NOT THAT LONG.
AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CLOSED THE DUNE
UNTIL IT COULD BE DEEMED SAFE FOR THE SITE'S
NEARLY 2 MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS,
SO IT REMAINS OFF-LIMITS TO THIS DAY.
IS IT DANGEROUS, OR ARE WE FINE GOING UP THERE?
YOU KNOW, SINCE I'M HERE, I'LL WALK ALONG WITH YOU
AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS SAFE.
SO, IN THEORY, THERE COULD STILL BE HOLES THAT SUCK PEOPLE DOWN?
ABSOLUTELY.
LAURA LEADS US UP THE PATH TOWARDS THE DUNE,
SHOVELS IN HAND.
NOT HIGH-TECH TOOLS,
BUT IF ANYONE GETS SUCKED UNDER THE SAND,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO DIG THEM OUT QUICKLY.
RESTRICTED AREA.
YEAH, AND A RARE PLANT HABITAT.
IT'S GETTING STEEP.
THIS IS THE HARD PART, HERE.
BUT THE WORK IS WELL WORTH IT.
OH, WOW.
-WELCOME TO MOUNT BALDY. -THIS IS HUGE!
L
Nelson: I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE HILL
FROM THE PARKING LOT,
BUT THIS IS... AND VERY, VERY EXPANSIVE.
THOUGH THE VIEWS ARE SPECTACULAR,
IT'S FRIGHTENING TO IMAGINE THE SAND
COULD BE CAPABLE OF CAVING IN SUDDENLY BENEATH OUR FEET.
LOOKING AROUND, SOMETHING ELSE CATCHES ME OFF GUARD.
Nelson: WHAT IS THIS OVER HERE?
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING.
IT WASN'T BUILT ON THE DUNE.
IT WAS BUILT ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE DUNE IN THE FOREST.
-NO KIDDING? -YEAH.
AND OVER THE YEARS, THE DUNE HAS GONE UP AND OVER IT?
EXACTLY.
Nelson: VARIOUS FORCES -- WIND, WEATHER, HUMANS --
ARE COMBINING TO SHIFT SAND FROM THE TOP AND BEACHSIDE,
EVENTUALLY COVERING UP STRUCTURES LIKE THIS ONE
ALONG THE PARK'S 15-MILE COASTLINE.
BUT THESE RUINS ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE LOCATION
WHERE THE BOY WAS SWALLOWED UP,
SO COULD THE ACCIDENT STILL BE CONNECTED
TO OTHER BUILDING REMAINS THAT HAVE BEEN ENGULFED?
WHEN RESCUERS WERE DIGGING THE BOY OUT,
THEY REPORTED COMING ACROSS NUMEROUS
SMALL HOLES IN THE SAND,
SOME UP TO 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER,
BUT ALMOST AS SOON AS THEY WOULD SPOT THEM,
THE OPENINGS WOULD COLLAPSE,
AND SAND WOULD RUSH IN TO FILL THE VOID.
SINCE THE INCIDENT, RANGERS HAVE CONTINUED TO FIND HOLES
IN THE SURFACE OF THE DUNE
AND ARE PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE SOMEHOW CONNECTED
TO WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
SO HOW MANY OF THESE HOLES LIE BENEATH THE DUNE,
AND DO THEY POSE A RISK TO US?
I THINK WE HAVE TO GET EYES ON A HOLE OR TWO.
Brennan: NOW REMEMBER, SOMETIMES, THERE COULD BE A HOLE
THAT YOU DON'T EVEN SEE ON THE SURFACE.
Burns: THE THING THAT'S SO HARD ABOUT THIS
IS THERE IS NO EVIDENCE,
REALLY, THAT WE CAN SEE OTHER THAN SAND.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT OBVIOUS AS TO WHAT CAUSED IT,
AND THAT'S WHAT'S BAFFLING EVERYBODY.
Nelson: HAVING STUDIED BIOLOGY AND MARINE SCIENCES,
I KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW COASTAL AREAS
CAN TAKE ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN.
WHEN SAND BECOMES SATURATED, WATER CAN DESTABILIZE IT,
TURNING IT INTO DANGEROUS QUICKSAND
AND PULLING IN WHOEVER WALKS OVER IT.
BUT THIS DUNE WAS BONE DRY THE DAY THE BOY FELL INTO IT,
SO THERE MUST BE SOME OTHER EXPLANATION
FOR THE BIZARRE OCCURRENCE HERE.
WHOA. WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
HERE WE GO.

HOLY MOLY. LOOK AT THAT.
BE CAREFUL.
AS SOON AS WE TRY AND PROBE THIS HOLE'S OPENING...
I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY COLLAPSED IN ON ITSELF.
SO WE KEEP MOVING IN SEARCH OF ADDITIONAL HOLES
THAT MIGHT HELP US ANSWER HOW A CHILD
COULD HAVE BEEN SWALLOWED UP BY THIS DUNE.
OH, LOOK AT THIS, STEFAN.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
OH, YEAH, THAT'S A HOLE OF SOME SORT.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO A TREE TRUNK,
WHICH SEEMS TO BE SPROUTING OUT OF THE DUNE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS TREE STUMP HAS BURNT IN THE PAST,
EITHER THAT, OR HAD SOME BLACK FUNGUS ON IT.
THE HOLE APPEARS TO RUN DOWN ALONGSIDE THE TRUNK.
CAN YOU TELL HOW DEEP IT GOES?
LET ME PROBE IT.
UH...
ABOUT A FOOT.
OH, THAT'S DEEP.
WON'T BE A HOLE IN A SECOND, STEFAN.
BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER,
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THESE HOLES
SEEM CONSISTENT WITH ANIMAL BURROWING.
I WANTED TO GET A LOOK INSIDE OF ONE TO SEE
IF THERE ARE ANY SIGNS OF ANIMAL ACTIVITY.
GIVEN THE DELICATE NATURE OF THESE OPENINGS
AND THEIR TENDENCY TO COLLAPSE IN ON THEMSELVES,
I DON'T WANT TO TRY DIGGING IN.
CAN WE GET THAT BOREHOLE CAMERA,
GET IT IN THERE AND CHECK IT OUT, LIGHT IT UP?
YEAH, WE CAN THROW IT IN THERE, SEE HOW FAR IT GOES.
I'LL GRAB IT.
OUR BOREHOLE CAMERA IS SPECIFICALLY USED TO VIEW
SMALL AREAS UNDERGROUND INACCESSIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
IT WILL ALLOW US TO SEE INSIDE THE HOLE
WITHOUT DISTURBING THE SURROUNDING SAND TOO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT. I HAVE THE CAMERA.
THIS THING IS SUPER COOL.
BASICALLY, THIS BOREHOLE CAMERA HAS A LITTLE LIGHT AT THE END
AS WELL AS A CAMERA, AND IT'S 25 FEET LONG,
SO WE CAN SNAKE IT INTO THESE SPOTS,
AND ONCE FULLY EXTENDED, IT HAS AN ARTICULATING HEAD.
AND THE END OF IT CAN MOVE AROUND.
WILL OUR CAMERA REVEAL THE PRESENCE OF ANIMAL BURROWS
OR GIVE US OTHER CLUES
AS TO WHAT'S CAUSING THESE BIZARRE HOLES TO FORM?
IT'S GOING DOWN.
2 INCHES, 3 INCHES,
4 INCHES.
AH, CRUD.
Nelson: UNDERGROUND TECH EXPERT STEFAN BURNS AND I
ARE IN INDIANA ATTEMPTING TO EXPLAIN
HOW A YOUNG CHILD WAS SWALLOWED UP INTO A MASSIVE SAND DUNE.
[
WELL, LOOK AT THIS, STEFAN.
OH, YEAH. THAT'S A HOLE OF SOME SORT.
WE ARE USING OUR SPECIALIZED BOREHOLE CAMERA
ON A SMALL OPENING TO FIND OUT
IF BURROWING ANIMALS ARE HOLLOWING OUT THE DUNE
BENEATH OUR FEET,
MAKING IT AN UNSTABLE DEATH TRAP FOR ANYONE WALKING ABOVE.
IT'S GOING DOWN.
2 INCHES, 3 INCHES,
4 INCHES.
AH, CRUD. -OH, IT JUST FELL IN.
OH, CRUD.
IT KIND OF COLLAPSED IN ON ITSELF.
YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE BIGGEST HOLE WE'VE FOUND,
BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING
THAT COULD SWALLOW A CHILD UP.
IT SEEMS THE BOREHOLE CAMERA WON'T GIVE US THE LOOK WE NEED
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S CAUSING THESE OMINOUS HOLES
TO APPEAR BENEATH THE SURFACE OF MOUNT BALDY.
WE HAVE TO FIND IT UNDERGROUND.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S TIME TO USE THE GPR
AND TO SCAN THIS ENTIRE AREA,
JUST BUILD A 3-D MAP OF ALL THE STRUCTURES UNDERGROUND.
GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR, CALLED GPR FOR SHORT,
WORKS BY FIRING RADIO WAVES INTO THE GROUND
AND SHOULD REVEAL ANY CAVITIES BURIED BENEATH THE SURFACE.
WHILE I KEEP LOOKING FOR HOLES,
STEFAN GETS TO WORK SETTING UP A GRID
SO THAT WE CAN DETERMINE IF ANIMAL BURROWS
WERE INDEED WHAT THE CHILD FELL INTO.
SO HE BEGINS THE SCAN, WHICH IS HARD WORK.
PUSHING IN SAND IS THE WORST.
BUT WILL IT PAY OFF?

LOOK AT THIS.
THESE ARE HUGE,
TWO PERFECT FEATURES, ONE AT 13 FEET,
AND ONE AT 8 FEET.
I'LL KEEP SCANNING TO SEE IF THERE'S MORE OF THEM.
Nelson: AS STEFAN'S SCAN CONTINUES,
HE BEGINS TO SEE MORE AND MORE HOLES
RIGHT UNDERNEATH HIS FEET,
WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS IF HE TAKES A WRONG STEP.
YES.
THAT SURVEY WAS BRUTAL, 60 BY 100 FEET,
BUT I SAW SO MUCH IN THERE.
Nelson: STEFAN'S SCAN HAS REVEALED SOMETHING TERRIFYING.
THERE APPEAR TO BE NUMEROUS VOIDS
VARYING IN SHAPES AND SIZES
AND EVEN POSITIONED AT DIFFERENT ANGLES.
THIS UNDERGROUND LABYRINTH APPEARS TO BE STRUCTURED
LIKE SWISS CHEESE,
MAKING IT SEEM LESS LIKELY THAT ANIMAL BURROWING IS INVOLVED.
THESE HOLES DO NOT MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT DIAMETER
THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE WITH ANIMAL ACTIVITY.
SO IF ANIMAL BURROWS ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THE BOY'S ACCIDENT,
THEN WHAT IS?
IF WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED THESE SUBTERRANEAN POCKETS
TO FORM,
WE MAY BE ABLE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN
AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE 2 MILLION PEOPLE
THAT VISIT EACH YEAR.
WE ARRANGE TO MEET UP WITH KEVIN RUSSELL...
KEVIN. -HEY, GOOD MORNING, ROB.
Nelson: ...A CARTOGRAPHER FROM THE INDIANA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
HE HAS SOME OLD MAPS AND AERIAL PHOTOS OF THE AREA
THAT MIGHT SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT'S CAUSING THIS DUNE
TO TAKE ON A SWISS-CHEESE-LIKE STRUCTURE.
HERE IS AERIAL IMAGERY FROM JUNE 1, 1939,
OF THE INDIANA SHORELINE,
AND THIS IS FROM 1958, TAKEN SEPTEMBER 13th.
OKAY, LET'S COMPARE THESE TWO TO EACH OTHER REAL QUICK.
LET'S SEE.
THOUGH MORE RECENT AERIAL SURVEYS HAVE BEEN DONE,
THESE MID-CENTURY MAPS ALLOW US TO SEE
WHAT THE DUNE HAS COVERED UP IN THE PREVIOUS CENTURY,
GIVING US MORE CLUES AS TO WHAT MIGHT BE
LYING HOLLOW BENEATH IT.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE DUNE HAS BEEN MOVING INLAND
FOR THE PAST FEW DECADES,
BUT BY LOOKING AT THESE PHOTOS,
WE KNOW SEE HOW MUCH AREA
IT ACTUALLY ENGULFED IN ONLY 20 YEARS.
THESE MAPS ARE GREAT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US
TO SEE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE THE SAND WAS,
WHICH MIGHT ALLOW US TO FIGURE OUT
HOW AN AIR GAP WAS FORMED...
-YEAH. -...THAT HE FELL INTO.
IF WE ARE ABLE TO PINPOINT WHAT EXACTLY ON THIS LAND
THE DUNE HAS COVERED SINCE 1939,
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE BOY FELL INTO.
THIS DUNE IS MOVING AT A FAST RATE,
OVERTAKING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH.
YEAH.
AND ACCORDING TO THESE MAPS,
THAT EVERYTHING INCLUDES MAN-MADE STRUCTURES.
THIS IS, LIKE, A LITTLE DRIVEWAY,
AND THIS LITTLE SQUARE AT THE END,
I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S A HOUSE.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THERE.
CAN YOU SEE ANY STRUCTURES IN THERE?
WELL, THERE'S A STRUCTURE RIGHT THERE.
MM-HMM.
IT'S COVERED UP, NOW, IN THIS ONE COMPLETELY.
COULD THESE STRUCTURES BE WHAT STEFAN SAW ON THE GPR?
IF SO, MAYBE THAT HELPS EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
DO YOU THINK THAT COULD BE WHERE THE KID FELL INTO
WAS ONE OF THESE OLD BUILDINGS?
IF A HOUSE WAS TO GET BURIED BY A SAND DUNE,
IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BIG POCKET OF AIR INSIDE,
AND EVENTUALLY, IF THERE'S ENOUGH WEIGHT ON TOP OF IT,
IT WOULD COLLAPSE.
DO YOU THINK THE THEORY HOLDS ANY WATER?
I THINK IT'S A POSSIBILITY.
COULD THIS DUNE BE RIDDLED WITH AN UNDERGROUND TOWN
OF OLD AND FORGOTTEN BUILDINGS
THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A DEATH TRAP
FOR ANY FUTURE VISITORS?
THIS IS MAKING ME WANT TO GET A 3-D MAP OF THE AREA
AND MAYBE TRY TO REFERENCE IT BACK TO THESE OLD MAPS.
SO WE COULD SHOW HISTORICALLY
WHERE THESE BUILDINGS WERE... -YEP.
...WHERE THE DUNE IS AND WHERE THE BUILDINGS ARE NOW,
AND WHERE THE GPR ANOMALIES WERE,
AND IF THEY ALL CORRELATE TOGETHER, BINGO.
WHILE STEFAN AND KEVIN CONTINUE TO STUDY THE MAPS,
I'M GOING TO FLY MY DRONE HIGH ABOVE THE DUNE
AND CAPTURE THE STILLS WE NEED,
CREATING A 3-D MAP TO HELP US FIGURE OUT
WHAT UNSTABLE UNDERGROUND WORLD
LIES BENEATH THE DUNE.
BUT HERE'S THE KICKER -- I CAN'T LAUNCH IT FROM LAND.
THE LAW REQUIRES ME TO BE AT LEAST 300 FEET OFFSHORE
TO PROTECT THE RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL PARKS,
SO I'M HEADING OUT ON LAKE MICHIGAN TO MAKE THE MAP.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY WEAVES TOGETHER MULTIPLE 2-D IMAGES
TO CREATE A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL,
IN THIS CASE, OF THE DUNE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO LAYER THIS UP-TO-DATE IMAGE
ON TOP OF THE HISTORICAL AERIALS
AND THE GPR RESULTS TO EXPLORE OUR THEORY
THAT A LOST UNDERGROUND TOWN
MIGHT BE COLLAPSING BENEATH THE SAND,
CREATING THE DUNE'S BIZARRE HOLES.
HERE WE GO.
♪♪
THE DRONE WILL BE RUNNING AN AUTOMATED FLIGHT PATH,
TAKING IMAGES FROM SPECIFIC POINTS
I'VE PLOTTED ON A GPS GRID.
OKAY, SO IT'S FLYING UP TO 400 FEET RIGHT NOW,
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE AN IMAGE EVERY 20 FEET
UP AND DOWN ACROSS THE DUNE.
COOL.
LAST ONE.
YEP, THAT ONE WAS GOOD.
WITH THE PHOTOGRAMMETRY A SUCCESS,
I'LL MEET BACK UP WITH STEFAN AND KEVIN
TO SHOW THEM THE RESULTS.
HEY, GUYS. -WELCOME BACK.
-SO SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT. -YOU GUYS ARE GONNA LIKE THIS.
Nelson: WE'VE USED SPECIALIZED SOFTWARE
TO KNIT THE 2-D IMAGES TOGETHER
TO CREATE A SINGULAR, 3-D IMAGE OF MOUNT BALDY.
Nelson: SO YOU CAN ROTATE IT AROUND,
BUT YOU CAN SEE THE SHAPE
OF THE DUNE REALLY CLEARLY FROM HERE,
AND WHAT I FIND SO INTERESTING
'
IS THAT FROM THE OLD TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS,
MOUNT BALDY WAS HERE.
Russell: YES.
Nelson: THE PHOTOGRAMMETRY HAS GIVEN US
THE MOST CURRENT MAP OF MOUNT BALDY.
WE WILL NOW BE ABLE TO CROSS-REFERENCE THIS IMAGE
OVER THE 1958 MAP IN ORDER TO VISUALIZE THE DISTANCE
THE DUNE HAS TRAVELED SINCE FROM AN AERIAL POINT OF VIEW.
IT HAS GIVEN US THE ABILITY TO USE THE PARKING LOT
AS A REFERENCE POINT TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE DUNE
HAS CONSUMED IN THE PAST 50 YEARS.
WHILE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK,
WE NOTICE THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST BUILDINGS AND ROADWAYS
��
THAT THE DUNE HAS COVERED UP.
LOOK HOW IT'S OVERTAKING THIS FOREST.
WHEN I RAN THE GPR OVER THE AREA, I GOT TONS OF ANOMALIES,
MORE THAN CAN BE EXPLAINED JUST BY THE STRUCTURES IN THE AREA.
Nelson: WITH THE ADDITION OF STEFAN'S GPR SCAN,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO CREATE A MORE THOROUGH IMAGE
OF ANY HOLES THAT LIE UNDERNEATH.
Burns: I MEAN, IT'S COMPLETELY ENGULFING THIS FOREST,
SO WHAT I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS
IS THAT WE WERE HONING IN ON THESE STRUCTURES
THAT THE DUNE HAS ENGULFED, RIGHT?
YEAH.
BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE TREES
IS TECHNICALLY A STRUCTURE.
Nelson: THERE ARE SO MANY TREES AND SO FEW STRUCTURES
THAT THE PROBABILITY OF THE HOLE LINING UP
WITH THE POSITION OF A TREE
SEEMS FAR MORE LIKELY THAN ALIGNING WITH AN OLD BUILDING.
SO WHERE EXACTLY DID THE KID FALL INTO THE HOLE?
IN THIS GENERAL AREA RIGHT HERE.
OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY STRUCTURES THERE OR TREES?
NO, LOOK AT THAT.
SEE ALL THE TREES LYING UNDERNEATH
THE SURFACE OF THE DUNE?
-WHOA. -HERE, CHECK THAT OUT.
CHECK THAT OUT. -LOOK AT THAT.
Nelson: COULD THESE TREES HAVE CREATED THE HOLE
THAT BURIED THE BOY ALIVE?
HONESTLY, THE WHOLE THING SEEMS VERY UNUSUAL TO ME.
Nelson: STEFAN AND I ARE ON A MISSION
TO UNCOVER HIDDEN SECRETS BENEATH MOUNT BALDY
THAT COULD EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSED A 6-YEAR-OLD CHILD
TO GET SUCKED INTO AN UNEXPLAINED HOLE.
WE HAVE JUST COMBINED OUR GPR AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY MAPS
TO GET A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE DUNE'S MIGRATION PATH,
AND ONE THING IS BECOMING MORE EVIDENT.
LOOK AT THAT. SEE ALL THE TREES
LYING UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE OF THE DUNE?
-WHOA. -HERE, CHECK THAT OUT.
CHECK THAT OUT. -LOOK AT THAT.
Nelson: THE DUNE HAS COVERED UP PARTS OF THE FOREST
WHERE TREES SEEM TO BE SCATTERED UNDERNEATH,
BUT IF THE HOLE WAS, AT ONE POINT, A TREE,
HOW COULD IT HAVE CREATED A VOID UNDER THE DUNE
FOR THE BOY TO FALL INTO?
I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE SOME PROCESS AT PLAY
THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DISINTEGRATING THESE TREES,
MAYBE THROUGH SOME DECOMPOSITION,
OR THERE'S SOMETHING THE SAND...
THE WAY I SEE IT,
IT EITHER IS SOMETHING IN THE SAND THAT'S CAUSING THIS,
OR IT'S SOMETHING WITHIN THE TREE ITSELF.
HOW DO YOU THINK THESE TREES INTERACT WITH THE DUNE
ONCE THEY'RE BURIED?
THE WHOLE THING IS SOMEWHAT PERPLEXING TO ME.
Nelson: SAND DUNES WILL COMMONLY ENVELOP TREES
AND OTHER VEGETATION.
IN EXTREME CASES, SEISMIC ACTIVITY OR EXPOSURE
TO SEA LEVEL CHANGES
WILL COMPLETELY ENGULF GROVES OF TREES
IN SAND, MUD OR WATER.
IT'S A PROCESS THAT CAN RESULT IN WHAT'S CALLED A GHOST FOREST.
AREAS SUCH AS THE NESKOWIN GHOST FOREST IN OREGON
WERE COVERED IN SEDIMENT,
l
PRESERVING THE TREE STUMPS UNDERNEATH.
ANOTHER FOREST IN WYOMING BECAME ENCASED IN ALGAE,
PROTECTING IT FROM NATURAL ELEMENTS THAT CAUSE DECAY.
PETRIFICATION OCCURS WHEN TREES ARE SHIELDED
FROM DECOMPOSITION LIKE THIS.
SOLID MINERALS THEN REPLACE THE ORGANIC MATERIAL,
A PROCESS THAT WOULD NOT CREATE THE EMPTY CAVITIES
WE'VE SEEN ON MOUNT BALDY.
THESE TREES WERE POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCIDENT,
THEN THE TREES HARDENING AND PETRIFYING
i
WOULD BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE
OF WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO HAPPEN.
THESE TREES WOULD NEED TO HOLLOW OUT SOMEHOW AND LEAVE A SPACE.
Nelson: BUT EVEN IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN,
WOULDN'T THE SURROUNDING SAND
JUST COLLAPSE BACK INTO THE TREE,
FILLING IN ANY HOLE IMMEDIATELY?
HONESTLY, I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE,
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO TAKE SOME SAMPLES,
GO SEE A TREE EXPERT.
RUNNING WITH OUR HYPOTHESIS, THE DECOMPOSING TREES
SOMEHOW LEFT BEHIND AIR GAPS BENEATH THE SAND.
I HEAD BACK OUT TO THE DUNE TO COLLECT SOME TREE SAMPLES.
OH, LOOK AT THAT.
THERE'S SOME SOIL RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THAT TREE.