Articles tagged with Tree Rings
A new study using ancient tree rings reveals that the Brahmaputra River's flooding is more frequent than previously thought, with estimates underestimating the danger by nearly 40%. The research found that the river's discharge was much wetter in the past, with periods of extreme flooding that may not be comparable to modern times.
A new study suggests that the climate in inner East Asia has reached a tipping point, where recent hot and dry summers may be irreversible. The study used tree rings to reconstruct changes in soil moisture and frequency of heat waves, revealing that the region has not seen these conditions in over 260 years.
A study found that large-diameter trees in Pacific Northwest forests store 42% of the total above-ground carbon, while only accounting for 3% of the total number of trees. This highlights their crucial role in mitigating climate change and emphasizes the need to protect these trees.
A study from Oregon State University found that small changes in water temperature can significantly impact the eating habits and growth rate of larval blackfin tuna, leading to slower growth and reduced survival rates. The research highlights the importance of prey availability in supporting fish growth during critical life stages.
A new study found that trees' participation in fungal networks in forest soil is linked to their growth, carbon storage, and ability to withstand drought. The research suggests that these networks can provide significant growth advantages to trees with more connections.
Researchers developed a tree-ring chronology that links Amazon precipitation patterns with those in North and South America, revealing an inverse relationship between the areas' growth and precipitation levels. The study provides valuable insights into large-scale climate extremes and the impact of El Niño phenomenon.
A study of tree rings from Norilsk, Russia has shown that industrial pollution in the Arctic region has a far greater impact than previously thought. The research reveals widespread damage to the boreal forest, with declining tree growth affecting carbon sequestration and global climate.
Researchers found that tree ring data significantly overestimated climate persistence in Central Europe. The corrected temperature series suggests that medieval climate fluctuations were less pronounced than thought, making the present human-made warming even more extraordinary.
Researchers found surprisingly high growth rates for Leptoseris species at depths of up to 360 feet, with some colonies growing nearly 1 inch per year. This challenges the assumption that deep corals grow slowly due to low light levels.
Researchers used subannual precision radiocarbon dating to analyze tree rings in the Por-Bajin monument, revealing a sudden increase in atmospheric 14C in 775 CE. The analysis allowed them to pinpoint the exact year and season of construction as summer 777 CE.
Researchers have used a recently developed radiocarbon dating method to determine the exact construction date of an eighth-century Uyghur complex in southern Siberia. The findings suggest that the complex was built as a Manichaean monastery, explaining its abandonment, and provide new insights into the purpose of this archaeological site.
Researchers found that plants on Svalbard grow in synchrony due to July temperatures, reflecting climate change. Tiny growth rings of the polar willow shrub show distinct patterns, allowing scientists to track growth and understand ecosystem dynamics.
Jan Esper will track tree growth at 100 sites in the Northern Hemisphere to develop a new model for reliable climate data. This project aims to overcome the divergence problem, which undermines the reliability of temperature reconstructions based on tree rings.
Researchers at the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research used a hybrid approach to assign calendar dates to tree rings, potentially pinning down the Thera volcano eruption date. The study spans over 2,000 years and provides context for civilizations in the Bronze and Iron Ages.
A new study uses novel methods to analyze tree rings, radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis to uncover past human influences on tropical forests. The research promotes conservation priorities by acknowledging the role of tropical trees in cultural and natural ecosystems.
Research led by University of Arizona found simultaneous droughts in Southern California's main water sources occurred six times per century on average. Perfect droughts lasting two or more years coincide with high pressure off the northwest Pacific Coast and storm tracks shifted north.
A new study refutes the idea that small Tyrannosaurus rex specimens represent a separate genus, instead revealing they were juvenile versions of their larger counterparts. The research found evidence of rapid growth in these young T. rexes, suggesting they likely played different roles in their ecosystems than adults.
A study of ancient Scottish tree rings reveals that a devastating famine in the 1690s was caused by faraway volcanic eruptions and exacerbated by Scotland's political isolation from England. The researchers argue that nations should stick together to be stronger in the face of climate change.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that the meat-eating dinosaur Majungasaurus grew new teeth rapidly, possibly due to gnawing on bones. This rapid tooth replacement rate puts Majungasaurus in the same league as sharks and big herbivorous dinosaurs.
Researchers used Cassini's closest observations to study Saturn's rings, revealing three distinct textures and tiny moons within the rings. The study also found streaky textures and large boulders, which may be fragments of broken objects or formed through accretion processes.
Researchers at University of Helsinki and Aalto University developed a new model to explain tooth enamel formation, proposing that differences in enamel thickness are regulated by nutrient diffusion rates. This discovery helps uncover why human and orangutan teeth have distinct characteristics.
Researchers found that high levels of PM10 reduced average tree growth by up to 37% and varied interannually with pollution levels during driest months. Trees exposed to higher levels of pollution grew less in trunk diameter development throughout their lives.
International study finds that as temperatures rise, trees grow faster but die younger, reducing the amount of carbon they store. This phenomenon has significant implications for global carbon cycle dynamics.
New research using tree ring records reveals a 80-year decline in Asian summer monsoon rainfall, resulting in regional droughts and hardships. The study attributes the decline to man-made atmospheric pollutants, specifically sulfate aerosols, which coincide with industrial development and emissions in China.
A new study uses dendrochronology and historical survey to investigate the effects of human populations on Amazonian forests. The research reveals that pre-colonial populations left lasting imprints on the region's forest structure and resources.
A new study reveals how clouds are modifying the warming caused by human-caused climate change in northern Scandinavia. Cloud cover has reduced the impact of natural phases of warmth and is doing so again to moderate the warming.
A new study shows tree rings offer a unique perspective on climate change, matching high-tech data over short-term periods. The method reveals strong agreement between trees' own productivity estimates and satellite-derived data.
Research by De Rybel (VIB-UGent) and Helariutta (SLCU) reveals that DOF-type transcription factors control plant radial growth, enabling targeted breeding for higher biomass production. This understanding can improve atmospheric carbon sequestration and increase crop yields.
Researchers report that long-lived white cedar trees in northeastern Canada have increased water use efficiency since 1850, likely due to elevated carbon assimilation rates. However, no associated increase in growth rates was observed, suggesting that CO2 stimulation may not lead to increased carbon storage.
Researchers have found that fish can be tracked through the analysis of earstones, which record a fish's pace of life, speed through water, and aid hearing. The earstones also reveal how much of their carbon comes from food or water.
A study published in Science Advances reveals that trees are becoming more water-limited as the climate warms, with changes most evident in northern climates and high altitudes. The research found that tree growth has shifted from being temperature-limited to being water-limited over large areas.
A new version of the International Tree Ring Data Bank has made it easier for scientists outside dendrochronology to access and interpret the data. The team corrected thousands of formatting issues, including reducing analytical bias from overrepresentation of certain tree species.
Researchers used tree rings to track the northern boundary of the tropics from 1203 to 2003, finding that periods of expansion coincided with severe droughts. The study suggests climate change was a contributing factor to these societal disruptions.
Researchers analyzed Tipuana tree rings and bark to measure environmental pollution levels, finding reduced levels of cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead over the past three decades. The study suggests a correlation with declining gasoline emissions in Brazil.
Researchers have dated the ancient Minoan eruption of Thera to between 1600 and 1525 BC using tree ring analysis, which overlaps with previously estimated dates from archeological evidence. This discovery resolves long-standing debates about the timing of the eruption.
A new study by Portland State University reveals that climate change impacts tree growth rates vary among widely distributed tree species in different regions of Patagonia. The research found that warmer conditions and changes in storm tracks led to altered precipitation patterns, favoring tree growth in some areas over others.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports found that a series of volcanic eruptions in the mid-500s CE resulted in a prolonged period of cold and darkness, making it difficult for humans to survive. The poor climate conditions significantly reduced food production and vitamin D levels, further weakening the already hungry population.
Scientists at Umea University have developed a technique to track the carbon metabolism of plants over their entire lifetime, using tree rings. This method provides valuable information for refining climate models and assessing plant role in reducing CO2 concentration.
Research found that warmer June temperatures lead to faster shrub growth in arctic tundra, challenging adapted species like caribou. Annual ring measurements revealed a strong link between June temperature and shrub growth.
Researchers have found that small crystals in volcanic rocks contain growth layers similar to tree rings, which can record the processes leading up to an eruption. This discovery may lead to more effective volcanic hazard monitoring, including for dormant volcanoes.
A global reference section for the Anthropocene might be searched for in areas between 1952 to 1955 based on nuclear testing and fossil fuel burning signals. Continuous annually layered strata, such as those found in oxygen-starved seas, lakes, glacial ice, corals, and trees with seasonal growth rings, provide the best geological archive.
Researchers found that increased fluctuations in the jet stream's path since the 1960s coincide with more extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and flooding. The study used tree ring data to reconstruct historical changes in the North Atlantic jet stream prior to the 20th century.
Researchers at Utah State University analyzed tree rings to reconstruct monthly streamflow trends for three rivers in Northern Utah. The study provides a new tool for understanding seasonal patterns and droughts, enabling more informed water use and management decisions.
Climate simulations predict Mediterranean fir forests will be similar to the driest and hottest periods of the late 20th century under a business-as-usual emissions scenario. Warmer growing seasons may benefit some species in moist refugia, but others could face significant growth declines.
New research reveals fossils from 374-million-year-old tree trunks show interconnected xylem strands that conducted water to branches and leaves. These ancient trees had a unique growth mechanism, with individual strands growing their own rings like mini-trees.
Researchers studied 61 tropical tree species with age ranges of 84 to 255 years and found that old trees stored more carbon than younger ones. The trees maintained high carbon accumulation rates until the end of their lives, accumulating up to 50% of their final carbon stock in the last quarter.
The study reveals that ancient China experienced four warm epochs, including the 20th century, with temperatures comparable to current levels. This challenges the idea that modern warming is unprecedented in recent history.
The CorsicArchive project, funded by the German Research Foundation, uses tree ecology, hydrology and climatology to analyze past and present climate changes. The researchers aim to understand the effects of climate extremes on forest ecosystems and provide insights for forestry industry and tourism.
A tree growth model developed by Washington State University researchers helps breeders identify trees that can produce more wood. The model simulates hormonal interactions and gene expression to predict radial growth, leading to faster and thicker trees.
Researchers have identified a new type of solar event and dated it to 5480 BC using carbon-14 levels in tree rings. The team proposes causes for the event, extending knowledge of the sun's behavior and its effects on Earth. The study provides new insights into the sun's activity during the mid-Holocene period.
Researchers found that loggerhead turtles spend an average of seven years and 16 years in the waters off Baja California before migrating to Japan. The study provides crucial information for developing conservation plans and reducing bycatch rates, which can be as high as 1,000 turtles per year.
A Cornell-led study finds that the American Southwest is at risk of megadroughts due to climate change, but reducing emissions can significantly lower this risk. The study suggests that even a moderate warming of 2 degrees Celsius could lead to a 20-50% chance of a megadrought.
Researchers encase Arctic plants in ice to study climate change's effects on growth patterns. To their surprise, the frozen plants exhibited increased growth in remaining undamaged shoots.
Current tree-ring-based climate reconstructions need improvement to account for uncertainty, suggests new research. Researchers developed a unified statistical modelling approach using Bayesian inference that simultaneously accounts for non-climatic and climatic variability.
A new study reveals that soil deposits can provide a rich source of data for paleoclimatologists, providing a time resolution of thousand-year intervals and offering insights into past climate conditions. The analysis of carbonate deposits revealed a shift in precipitation patterns in North America between 70,000 to 55,000 years ago.
A Princeton University study found that male and female Stegosaurus had distinct plate shapes, with females having shorter and wider plates and males having taller and narrower ones. This discovery sheds light on sexual dimorphism in non-avian dinosaurs, challenging previous assumptions.
A study by the University of Adelaide reveals that black bream in the Coorong estuary employ a 'bet-hedging' strategy to survive, migrating between locations based on water and food availability. This adaptation helps the species resist climate change and human impacts.
Researchers found that green turtles tend not to bask when local winter sea surface temperatures stay above 23 degrees Celsius. The scientists project that global warming trends could lead to the end of beach basking globally by 2102, with Hawaii's green turtles possibly stopping by 2039.
Researchers use tree rings to date arroyo sedimentary beds and combine data with aerial imagery and LiDAR to reconstruct the history of these arroyos. The study reveals that arroyos are unstable features that shift between broad floodplains and incised channels, and that upstream progression is limited to specific locations.
Researchers found that changes in light intensity affect tree ring density in the Arctic, resolving the divergence problem. The study suggests regional variations in cloud cover and light availability impact tree growth.