In the past 7,500 years, the Arctic has never been as warm as it is. This is evident from the tree rings of trees.
With the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL) collaboration, a study on this topic appeared in “Nature Communications.” As the institute wrote on Thursday, erosion on the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic exposed ancient trees. Thanks to their annual rings, they can be dated. This allows a reconstruction of the climate.
Currently warmest phase in the Arctic for 7,500 years
The chronology goes back to the year 5618 BC. It is thus the most extended tree-ring chronology from the Arctic region. The tree rings are directly related to summer temperatures. The analysis shows how rapidly the Yamal Peninsula has warmed since 1850. The current temperatures are unprecedented, the Swiss WSL wrote.
Over 20 expeditions brought back tree samples for 40 years.
Over 20 expeditions brought back the tree samples over 40 years. To do this, the researchers had to move by boat on rivers because there were no roads on the Yamal Peninsula. They dug the trees free in the river sediment and cut them up. The trees fell into the water because the river courses are constantly changing, for example, undermining riverbank zones. If the fallen trees are then covered by sediment, the permafrost can preserve them for a long time.
Several universities were involved in a study on the heat in the Arctic
In addition to WSL, the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the University of Geneva, and climate research at the University of East Anglia in England were involved in the study.
- source: vienna.at/picture: pixabay.com
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