
Northern Tree Habitats - Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · Interior Alaskan forests have only six native tree species: white spruce, black spruce, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, larch (tamarack) and paper birch. Northern Canadian …
Cottonwood and Balsam Poplar | Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · The Klukwan giant holds the national record for black cottonwood diameter. Its nearest rival, a tree near Salem, Oregon, does hold the national height record. The Klukwan …
Tree Rings and History | Geophysical Institute
May 1, 2025 · A tree's age can be easily determined by counting its growth rings, as any Boy or Girl Scout knows. Annually, the tree adds new layers of wood which thicken during the …
More on Why Tree Trunks Spiral | Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · I eventually found a tree with a spiral lightning mark and it followed the spiral grain exactly. One tree, of course, proves nothing. "But why should the tree spiral? More speculation …
Trees as Earthquake Fault Indicators | Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · Then using tree ring dating methods, it may be possible to date earthquakes occurring before historical records were kept. The ability to identify and date very large …
Witches' Broom | Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · In interior Alaska and some parts of Canada, witches' broom (an abnormal outgrowth of branches of the tree resembling the sweeping end of a broom), is commonly …
Burls - Geophysical Institute
May 22, 2025 · Burls, spherical woody growths on the trunks of spruce, birch and other trees, are commonly found throughout wooded parts of Alaska.
Trees for a Cold Climate | Geophysical Institute
Apr 1, 1993 · Back on the ground, I did a little research on why so few tree types grow naturally in the neighborhood. Winter's extreme cold easily eliminates some tree species hardy elsewhere. …
Mummified forest tells tale of a changing north - Geophysical …
Jan 6, 2011 · An outcropping of mummified tree remains on Ellesmere Island in Canada. A melting glacier revealed the trees, which were buried by a landslide 2 to 8 million years ago.
Fast-Growing Trees | Geophysical Institute
Jun 12, 2025 · Nevertheless, the rate of tree growth in Alaska often surprises the newcomer. The reason for this is that trees in Alaska appear to be adapted to grow more rapidly when the …