dendrochronology Archives - State of the Planet

1,000-Plus Years of Tree Rings Confirm Historic Extremity of 2021 Western North America Heat Wave

Scientists quickly pronounced the summer 2021 heat wave that hit western North America to be unprecedented, but they had no long-term physical proof. Now they do.

by |March 27, 2023

What Tropical Trees Can Teach Us About the Environment

PhD student Rose Oelkers discusses her work in the Amazon and what we can learn from the trees if we listen closely.

by |October 25, 2022
nicole davi headshot

Learning From Tree Rings: An Interview With Nicole Davi

A dendrochronologist explains how tree rings can teach us about our past, present, and future.

by Nataley Williams |March 8, 2022

New York City’s Hidden Old-Growth Forests

Scientists are uncovering centuries of climate data and human history from giant old timbers saved from demolished structures.

by |August 2, 2021

Anillos de Crecimiento de los Árboles Revelan Aumento sin Precedentes en Extremos Climáticos en Sudamérica

Un nuevo Atlas Sudamericano de Sequía revela que las sequías severas expandidas y los períodos inusualmente húmedos sin precedentes han ido aumentando desde mediados del siglo XX.

by |July 7, 2020

Tree Rings Show Unprecedented Rise in Extreme Weather in South America

A new South American Drought Atlas reveals that unprecedented widespread, intense droughts and unusually wet periods have been on the rise since the mid-20th century.

by |July 7, 2020

In Ancient Scottish Tree Rings, a Cautionary Tale on Climate, Politics and Survival

Using old tree rings and archival documents, historians and climate scientists have detailed an extreme cold period in Scotland in the 1690s that caused immense suffering. It may have lessons for Brexit-era politics.

by |December 17, 2019

Within Sight of New York City, an Old-Growth Forest Faces Storms and Sea Level Rise

On a peninsula within sight of New York City, researchers are studying trees dating as far back as the early 1800s. Rising seas and more powerful storms, both fueled by climate change, could eventually spell their end.

by |December 3, 2019

Photo Essay: An Old-Growth Forest Near New York City Faces Storms and Sea-Level Rise

Centuries-old trees on a peninsula near New York City could provide an important record of past storms. Researchers recently traveled there to sample the trees before they are wiped out by rising seas and powerful storms.

by |December 3, 2019

New Tree Ring Analysis Method May Open Insights to Past Climate

Measurements of stable isotopes in tree rings may expand the climate information that scientists can get from old trees.

by |February 28, 2019