Annual growth rings in trees tell us more than climate history; they can also document the rise and fall of human industrial activities.
dendrochronology
Posted inNews
How the Cold Climate Shaped Scotland’s Political Climate
Tree rings reveal how severe cold and political isolation brought disaster to Scotland, inspired a colonization effort in Panama, and helped drive union with England.
Posted inNews
Podcast: Discovering Europe’s History Through Its Timbers
An analysis of timber used to construct buildings in Europe hundreds of years ago is giving scientists and historians new insights into the region’s history from the 13th to 17th centuries.
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North Carolina Bald Cypress Tree Is at Least 2,674 Years Old
Researchers say it’s the oldest-known living tree in eastern North America. If it hadn’t been protected, it could have ended up as garden mulch.
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Burning Fossil Fuels Worsens Drought
Tree rings help scientists trace the influence of greenhouse gas emissions on 20th-century drought conditions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Topography and Microclimate Shape Tree Ring Growth
Wizened bristlecone pines in California reveal past climate trends, and new research shows how slight variations in landscape position drive different growth patterns in trees’ annual rings.
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Tree Rings Tell a Tale of Wartime Privations
In occupied Norway during World War II, the German navy deployed thick chemical fog to protect a precious battleship. The effects are still detectable in trees.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Impact of Hurricanes and Nor’easters on Coastal Forests
Scientists trace severe storms’ effects through tree ring growth patterns.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
California's 2012–2014 Drought Unusual for Last Millennium
Soil moisture estimates, inferred from thousands of tree rings spanning the past 12 centuries, highlight the severity of the recent record-breaking drought.