Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Frost rings in trees as records of major volcanic eruptions

Abstract

New data about climatically-effective volcanic eruptions during the past several thousand years may be contained in frost-damage zones in the annual rings of trees. There is good agreement in the timing of frost events and recent eruptions, and the damage can be plausibly linked to climatic effects of stratospheric aerosol veils on hemispheric and global scales. The cataclysmic proto-historic eruption of Santorini (Thera), in the Aegean, is tentatively dated to 1628–26 BC from frost-ring evidence.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lamb, H. H. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A226, 425–533 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Stothers, R. B. & Rampino, M. R. J. geophys. Res. 88, 6357–6371 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kerr, R. A. Science 219, 157 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Newell, R. E. & Deepak, A. (eds) Mount St Helens Eruptions of 1980—Atmospheric Effects and Potential Climatic Impact (NASA SP-458, US Government Printing Office, (1982).

  5. Hammer, C. U., Clausen, H. B. & Dansgaard, W. Nature 288, 230–235 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Herron, M. M. J. geophys. Res. 87, 3052–3060 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Mosley-Thompson, E. & Thompson, L. G. Quat. Res. 17, 1–13 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Glerum, C. & Farrar, J. L. Can. J. Bot. 44, 879–886 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Glock, W. S. & Reed, E. L. Science 91, 98–99 (1940).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. LaMarche, V. C. Jr Science 183, 1043–1048 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. LaMarche, V. C. Jr Nature 276, 334–338 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. LaMarche, V. C. Jr & Stockton, C. W. Tree-Ring Bull. 34, 21–45 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  13. LaMarche, V. C. Jr Quat. Res. 3, 632–660 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. LaMarche, V. C. Jr. & Mooney, H. A. Arct. Alp. Res. 4, 61–72 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. LaMarche, V. C. Jr. in Tree-Ring Analysis with Special Reference to Northwest America (eds Smith, J. H. G. & Worral, J.) (University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry Bull. 7, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  16. LaMarche, V. C. Jr. & Harlan, T. P. J. geophys. Res. 78, 8849–8858 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. US War Department, Signal Office Mon. Weath. Rev. 12 (1884).

  18. US Department of Commerce Climatological Data: Utah. (1966).

  19. Fritts, H. C. Papers Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, 4, (University of Arizona Press, Tucson, (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Self, S., Rampino, M. R., & Barbera, J. J. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 11, 41–60 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lamb, H. H. Climate: Present, Past and Future Vol. 1 (Methuen, London, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Flohn, H. in Climatic Change and Variability (eds Pittock, A. B., Frakes, L. A., Jenssen, D., Peterson, J. A. & Zillman, J. W.) (Cambridge University Press, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rampino, M. R. & Self, S. Quat. Res. 18, 127–143 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wexler, H. Tellus 8, 480–494 (1956).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Flohn, H. in The Physical Basis of Climate and Climate Modelling, (Global Atmos. Res. Prog. Pub. Ser. 16, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hunt, B. G. in Climatic Change and Variability (eds Pittock, A. B., Frakes, L. A., Jenssen, D., Peterson, J. A. & Zillman, J. W.) (Cambridge University Press, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Mitchell, J. M. Weatherwise 35, 252–259 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Simkin, T., Siebert, L., McClelland, L., Bridge, D., Newhall, C. & Latter, J. H. Volcanoes of the World (Hutchinson Ross, Stroudsburg, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Newhall, C. G. & Self, S. J. geophys. Res. 87, 1231–1238 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mosimann, J. E. Elementary Probability for the Biological Sciences (Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Blalock, H. M. Jr Social Statistics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lamb, H. H. Climate: Present, Past and Future Vol. 2 (Methuen, London, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Betancourt, P. P. & Weinstein, G. A. Am. J. Archaeol. 80, 329–348 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Michael, H. N. in Proc. Temple University Aegean Symp. (ed Betancourt, P. P.) (Temple University Press, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Michael, H. N. in Thera and the Aegean World Vol. 1 (ed. Doumas, C.) 791–795 (Aris & Phillips, London, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Bailey, I. W. Bot. Gaz. 80, 93–101 (1925).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. LaMarche, V. C. Jr & Fritts, H. C. Z. Gletscher. Glazialgeol. 7, 125–131 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Dunwiddie, P. W. & LaMarche, V. C. Jr Aust. For. 43, 124–135 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Morrow, P. A. & LaMarche, V. C. Jr Science 201, 1244–1246 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Dunwiddie, P. W. & LaMarche, V. C. Jr Nature 286, 796–797 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

LaMarche, V., Hirschboeck, K. Frost rings in trees as records of major volcanic eruptions. Nature 307, 121–126 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/307121a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/307121a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing