Elleda Wilson: In One Ear: Little bits
Nov. 11—Robert Dziak, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, who is based at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, has wanted to find out if trees in Oregon were affected by the 1700 earthquake and tsunami for the last decade, according to an Oregon State University press release.
The challenge was to find old-growth trees in the tsunami inundation zone. Luckily, a stand of Douglas firs was discovered just south of Newport, about three quarters of a mile inland, which had somehow escaped being logged. A tsunami model showed the area could have been under almost 33 feet of water during the 1700 inundation.
Using core samples to examine the rings (which didn't harm the trees), they discovered the firs dated back to around 1670. Dziak found what he was looking for: In 1700 the trees grew "significantly" slower.
"Getting these little bits of the picture," Dziak explained, "helps us understand what we might expect when the next 'big one' hits."
