GEOG5839.01. Introduction to Dendrochronology

GEOG5839 INTRODUCTION TO DENDRO CHRONOLOGY

2012 Mar-May temperature anomaly h p://www.giss.nasa.gov/

QUESTIONIs it unusual for the world to be this warm?

Low reservoirSource: Glen MacDonald

QUESTIONIs there enough water in the Colorado River to satisfy the expected need?

Source: Howard Arno

QUESTIONWhen were these dwellings constructed (and abandoned) and why?

QUESTIONHow does weather and climate affectthe risk and severity of forest fires?

Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Lt. Brendan Evans

QUESTION How often do natural hazards like floods occur,and what factors make them more or less likely?

“ Three li le words achingly familiar on the Western farmers tongue, rule life in the dust bowl of the continent – if it rains. Associated Press ” April 15, 1935

“ There is nothing magical about the last one hundred years. Dr. Balaji Rajagopalan University of Colorado ”

CLIMATE HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA Younger Demise of Laurentide Dryas Ice Sheet 20 16 12 8 4 0 THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO Final Drainage of Lake AgassizLAST GLACIAL MODERN MAXIMUM OBSERVATIONS

Tree at ChancellorsvilleSource: Andy Frasse o

Tree-ring display at elementary schoolSource: Tom Swetnam

DENDROCHRONOLOGY ISMUCH MORE THAN JUST COUNTING TREE RINGS.

“The trees composing the forest rejoice andlament with its successes and failures andcarry year by year something of its story intheir annual rings.” A. E. Douglass University of Arizona

Source: Baillie (1982)

Source: Lane Johnson

27St.. George and Nielsen, The Holocene, 2003

Giant sequoia 3,266 yearsSource: Julie Jordan Sco

Intermountain bristlecone pine 4,844 yearsSource: Tom Harlan

The Seward Oak 330 years?Source: Ralph Sievert

Eastern white cedar (in Minnesota) 560 yearsSource: Danny Margoles

“ Tree-ring analysis is one of the most powerful tools available for the study of environmental change and the identiﬁcation of fundamental relationships ” between tree growth and climate. Ed Cook and Neil Pederson Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

INTRODUCTION TO DENDROCHRONOLOGY

GEOG5839 MAJOR TOPICS

The science of dendrochronology uses informationencoded into the annual growth rings of trees toaddress issues related to climate change, hazards,ecology and natural history.

September 6What are tree rings?

September 18 How does weather aﬀect tree growth?Source: Paul Schulte

September 20 The principle of cross-datingh p://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/li le/

The Longest Tree-Ring Record In The Americas. 8,500 Years

October 23The history of dendrochronology

October 18Sampling strategies

October 16Dendroarcheology

November 6 DendroecologySource: Whitney Crawford

November 8 DendrogeomorphologySource: Erica Bigio

GEOG5839LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

Exercise Tree anatomySource: Fritz Schweingruber

Exercise(s)Cross-dating

ExerciseSignal processing

GEOG5839 ABOUT ME

GEOG5839COURSE STRUCTURE

25% In-class discussionLaboratory exercises 30% 40% Project and ﬁnal report Final exercise 5%

GEOG3839 XT C L AS S NESource: Fri s Schweingruber

GEOG5839.01. Introduction to Dendrochronology

by Scott St. George on Sep 07, 2012

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