Aug 19, 2022 07:00:00

A 200-year-old tree explodes because it's too hot

On August 9, 2022, local time, in Oregon, USA, which was hit by

a record heat wave , a branch of a 200-year-old tree broke and caused damage to nearby power lines. Experts speculate that the cause of the broken branches is that 'it was too hot and gas accumulated inside the tree and exploded.'

200-year-old tree explodes because of Oregon heat wave, expert says
https://www.kktv.com/2022/08/09/200-year-old-tree-explodes-because-oregon-heat-wave-expert-says/

Searing seven-day long heatwave sees 200-year-old tree explode in 35C temperatures - Mirror Online
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/searing-seven-day-long-heatwave-27702142

A news video reporting that a large tree branch broke in Portland, Oregon and caused damage to a power line can be seen below.

Trees are exploding after the 7 day heat wave-YouTube


This time, the branch that broke was an oak tree estimated to be 200 years old. The weight of the broken branches is estimated to be 30,000 pounds (about 13.6 tons), and the scene looks like one giant tree has fallen.

The branches are large enough to block the road from one end to the other, and a cordon is stretched around it.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but nearby power lines were damaged.

The part where the branch broke is like this.

The tree was in a residential area and was regularly maintained and was in good health, but it is believed that its branches snapped due to the heat wave that hit Oregon in early August. That's what I'm talking about. The heatwave left Auckland with temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) for a week.

'Heat waves cause thermal changes in the tissue inside the tree, as well as gas build-up inside the tree,' says arborist Michael Jolliff. 'This can cause sudden explosions.' increase. These explosions are especially likely to occur in large old oak trees, and the weight of the tree is also a factor.

Other cases of branches breaking due to heat waves have been confirmed, and in Portland it was confirmed that a huge branch broke at

Powell Park a few days ago. In this case, the tree itself was also a little rotten, but Jolliff believes that the heat wave and the weight of the tree also affected it.

Jolliff points out that global warming may continue to cause trees to explode.

Also, it seems difficult to find signs of exploding trees, ``There is no really safe tree,'' Jolliff said.