Tree rings give insights to past climates and earthquakes
Randy Mann.
JAKE PARRISH/Press
Tree ring data has become very important in determining a region’s past climate. Trees are sensitive to the area’s local climate and each year, the tree will grow rings, which also provides an age for the tree. Depending on the conditions during a particular year, a tree ring can give scientists a good idea of the local climate. For example, during warm and wet seasons, the tree rings are usually wider, but they are thinner when it’s usually cold and dry. If there are drought conditions, there may be limited growth.
By comparing tree ring data with local weather records since the late 1800s in many locations across the U.S., scientists can use that data to look at the region’s past climate beyond the period of weather observations. Many trees can live for hundreds and even thousands of years. One of the oldest living trees in the world, according to nasa.climate.gov, is the Methuselah Tree in White Mountain, Calif. It’s estimated that the bristlecone pine tree is almost 5,000 years old.
Based on the most recent estimations, there are over 3 billion trees on Earth, which is about eight times more than scientists thought about 10 years ago. However, 42 million trees are cut down each day.
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