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Dendrogeomorphology – Tracking Past Events with Tree Rings

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Dating Torrential Processes on Fans and Cones

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 47))

Abstract

For a realistic hazard assessment, knowledge of past events is of crucial importance. As archival data is generally fragmentary, additional information sources are needed for an appraisal of past and contemporary as well as for the prediction of potential future events. Tree rings represent a very valuable natural archive on past torrential activity as they may record the impact of events in their tree-ring series. In the past few years, dendrogeomorphology has evolved from a pure dating tool to a broad range of applications. Besides the reconstruction of frequencies, tree rings allow - if coupled with spatial positioning methods - the assessment of spread, runout distance, breakout locations or preferred flow path. Similarly, the wide field of applications includes the identification of magnitudes and triggers of debris-flow events if meteorological data is included.

Tree rings were first used for the pure dating of wood, for instance in archaeology. However, in the 1970s, researcher started drawing environmental information from tree rings as their growth reflects the influences to which a tree is exposed during its live. The term “dendrogeomorphology” was first introduced in the 1970s by Alestalo (1971) and refers to the study of geomorphic processes with tree rings. The method was then further developed by Shroder (1978, 1980) and Braam et~al. (1987a, b).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology (dendrolab.ch), Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Berne, CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland

    Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler & Markus Stoffel

  2. Chair for Climate and Climatic Impacts, Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1227, Carouge-Geneva, Switzerland

    Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler & Markus Stoffel

Authors
  1. Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler
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  2. Markus Stoffel
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Correspondence to Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Berne, Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, Berne, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler

  2. University of Berne, Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, Berne, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Markus Stoffel

  3. Forestry Environment &Water Management, IV/5 – Torrent & Avalanche Control, Federal Ministry for Agriculture,, Marxergasse 5, Vienna, 1030, Wien, Austria

    Florian Rudolf-Miklau

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Schneuwly-Bollschweiler, M., Stoffel, M. (2013). Dendrogeomorphology – Tracking Past Events with Tree Rings. In: Schneuwly-Bollschweiler, M., Stoffel, M., Rudolf-Miklau, F. (eds) Dating Torrential Processes on Fans and Cones. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 47. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4336-6_10

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