
Cottonwood and Balsam Poplar | Geophysical Institute
2 days ago · 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 giant belies the …
Northern Tree Habitats - Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · Interior Alaskan forests have only six native tree species: white spruce, black spruce, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, larch (tamarack) and paper birch. Northern Canadian forests have all …
Tropical Fossils in Alaska | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · A 20-inch fossil palm leaf that once waved over a tropical forest in Alaska 45-60 million years ago. The fossil was found in rocks near the Malaspina Glacier. Photo from the U.S. Geological …
Tree Rings and History | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · 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 growing season …
More on Why Tree Trunks Spiral | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · 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 here: …
Burls - Geophysical Institute
Dec 18, 2025 · Burls, spherical woody growths on the trunks of spruce, birch and other trees, are commonly found throughout wooded parts of Alaska.
The secret life of red squirrels | Geophysical Institute
Nov 27, 2024 · Stan Boutin has climbed more than 5,000 spruce trees in the last 30 years. He has often returned to the forest floor knowing if a ball of twigs and moss within the tree contained newborn red …
Trees as Earthquake Fault Indicators | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · 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 earthquakes occurring …
The Kodiak Treeline | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · Spruce trees planted on the islands by the Russians in 1805 are doing just fine and reseeding themselves naturally, although the total tree population hardly amounts to a forest. In …
Orange trees in the Alaska Range | Geophysical Institute
Sep 3, 2020 · It was a tree disease known as spruce needle rust, which infects only the current year’s needles of white, black and Sitka spruce trees. The orange powder is composed of millions of tiny …