Our World

Study Says, "200 Years of Hurricane Data recorded in Trees"

I was reading in the National Geographic Section in bloglines and I came across a very interesting topic about scientists being able to collect hurricane data from the past 220 years in Georgia's longleaf pine trees. In this new study, researchers are trying to find an explanation to how hurricane activities vary over long periods of time. If they discover the reason, this could possibly settle the debate on whether human-driven global warming is affecting hurricanes. The current research that we have is only reliable for 60 years, which is too short to determine.
The new technique that they believe is working has to do with the analysis of oxygen isotope content in tree rings. This will contribute to the understanding of what the frequencies of hurricanes are. Hurricanes are dynamic. The oxygen isotopes are stationary and the hurricane is a moving system, so this would be an unreliable gauge to calculate the intensity of a hurricane.
Another factor that they look at is the amount of oxygen isotope that falls during a hurricane is a lot different than what falls in a normal thunderstorm. In a hurricane, water vapor is cycled with greater efficiency than in a thunderstorm. Longleaf roots are very shallow and rely greatly on the rainwater that is in the surface soil to grow. The depleted oxygen-18 signal is incorporated in the trees. Personally, I think that the whole thought of being able to record data from hurricanes through examining trees is really neat. The team that is carrying out this study compared their data with known information from the past half century and only one false storm showed up in the tree rings.
I think that this new study is truly incredible. Being able to understand the frequency of a hurricane by researching and examining evidence on trees is unheard of. But if they can continue to discover correct information, I think that more people will believe in what they are doing. Right now it's something new so people might not really know if the information they are receiving is correct. Tell me what you think about this new study. Do you think it's reliable?

posted by Anonymous @ 9/19/2006 09:06:00 PM