You know how trees grow trunks in layers, and the rings shown in a crosscut will tell the story of the tree's lifetime. Scientists can not only tell how old a tree is by its rings, but also date some of the environmental conditions by studying those rings. In these trees, the newer growth is a completely different color of wood! Try to guess what caused it, and then find out at the BBC. Link -via Jason Kottke
(Image credit: Timothy A. Mousseau)
Wow! Those are Scots pine logs? They're not one of those trees with the deliniated heartwood/sapwood. And I just noticed the colors are reversed. Heartwood is darker than sapwood. Those trees are all messed up
I wonder if there has been a change in the wood's reaction to compression and expansion?
Edit: I was way off