Using tree rings (and an underwater chainsaw) to understand earthquake risk | Oregon Field Guide

Dozens of earthquake faults crisscross the Pacific Northwest, many right under our feet.

Yet there’s still a lot we don’t know about these faults.

Now, scientists are looking to 1000-year-old underwater trees to understand our seismic past.

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[Lowellian]

Incredible. An Oregon underwater chainsaw is incredible also! Thanks Field Guide!

[lancevancetorres]

The underwater chainsaw sounds like an old man laughing and coughing at the same time. It is such a cool tool.

[anna-lisagirling]

I don't mean to get political--really!--but all I could think of is of people who yap about "academic elitists" or words to that effect as if there's never any mud, shit, frost bite, fishy smells, hunger, snake bites, etc. involved with pure scientific advancement. These people are my heros! Hard, hard work and sheer commitment is behind all the breakthroughs in the collective knowledge the human race has achieved and what this bunch of mud sloggers will ascertain will undoubtedly save lives. I live in this region and when we next have an earthquake that really gets my attention I will immediately conjure an image of our intrepid PhD candidate sinking up to her hips in goo, shouting, "Cannonball!" Indefatigueable! Excelcior!

[VRtechman]

As a researcher of Cataclysms past and near future I'd like to stay updated with her research As much as possible! 🧐

[andybaldman]

Would be nice to have a follow up with the findings. This video was one big tease.

[iSchmidty]

My grandpa has been studying the underwater forest near Lake Tahoe for a couple of decades, it's fascinating! I've gotten to pilot a lot of his submersible drone missions, its a whole other world down there :)

[innocentnemesis]

very purposeful research with important implications, although I can’t help but think it’s kind of a shame that the ancient trees have to be altered so permanently. it feels a little like desecrating a tombstone!

[jfkkennedy]

gotta go through chainsaw blades pretty quick, lol
much respect to guy chain sawing in water, i'm a diver, carpenter, have worked underwater on docks, I grasp how much more difficult, what he did is, than doing on dry land...that boy put in some hard work, earned his beers that night.

[KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH]

So what did they find? When did the quake happen?

[critters]

Fascinating! How enlightening & fun! I now want to be a tree ring scientist!

[tlh]

Seems like there is a need for an electric Minkota chainsaw!!

[coryhobbs]

Those sunken logs would make amazing wood carving and furniture

[RBFR]

How does wood tell you about earthquakes? also I'd recommend starting the chainsaw once you're at what you want to cut because if you fall (very high chance to) pull the throttle by accident and sink your other hand, that's you severely injured.

[hisnameisiam]

Fun to make educated guesses. Too bad we can never know for sure unless we have more than just tree rings.

[Gutterrat]

I thought i recognized that voice, Jessie was on the podcast curiology!

[oxcolette]

Dutchsinse can predict earthquakes. Look at his YouTube channel. He is pretty good at you and will show you how he does it. His calls are spot on.

[emilyrose]

When talking about this earthquake approximately 9, 000 years ago is that in reference to the Younger Dryas? If so, y’all need to look in to the meteoric activity at that time. There’s considerable evidence that there was a period of intense bombardment in North America at the beginning of the YD ~12, 000 years ago that caused sudden global cooling and mass death of megafauna globally. Then 9, 000 years ago the earth reentered the path of the fragments of meteorites which impacted the now ice covered North America causing I gigantic flood of the type you’re talking about having killed these trees.

[chrisstaylor]

Hydraulic Powered saw use them on skids site at mills, ,

[omanafire]

Wouldn't it be easier to use tools without power? A long wire saw operated by people standing on land or on a boat tied to another stump. It seems like you might benefit from a more practical mind on the team? Let me have a crack at it.

[harrydinglbary]

I hope you are using vegetable oil in that saw, BIG fine if not.