Ponderosa Pine at NCAR - Boulder, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 39° 58.701 W 105° 16.505
13S E 476511 N 4425390
NCAR provides many interactive and lively exhibits for visitors - and it is free of charge!
Waymark Code: WMAKK0
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 01/25/2011
Views: 9
This tree ring display is part of the educational displays at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the foothills outside of Boulder. Admittance to the building is free of charge and they are open from 9 am to 4 pm daily. The signs with the displays read as follows:
TREE RINGS
Ponderosa Pine, Colorado
In temperate regions, such as Boulder, trees generate a new layer of tissue just beneath the bark each year. The width of these tree rings varies with temperature and amount of precipitation during the growing season. Trees can grow to be hundreds or even several thousands of years old, like the bristle-cone pine. Scientists study the pattern and density of tree rings to decipher a record of past conditions. This ponderosa pine was cut down after it died of beetle infestation. A fungus that is introduced by the beetles caused the blue stain that you see. Can you find evidence of Boulder's recently discovered drought cycles in the tree rings record?
CORAL
Corals record changes in upper-ocean climate. Corals build their hard skeleton from calcium carbonate, a mineral they extract from seawater. The carbonate contains oxygen and trace minerals that can reveal the temperature of the upper ocean in which the coral grew. These temperature recordings can be used to reconstruct climate during the period of time that the coral lived.
Location Name and/or Address:
NCAR Visitor Center - National Center for Atmospheric Research
1850 Table Mesa Dr
Boulder, CO 80305-5602
(303) 497-1000
Website: [Web Link]
Tree Species: pONDEROSA pINE
Indoors/Outdoors: Indoors
Entry Fee or Requirements: No
Availablility: Has specific hours
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Visit Instructions:
Visit the location and take a photo of the Tree Growth Rings. If you have more information about the tree or circumstance, please share it in your visit log.