Trees Talk Tremor—Wood Anatomy and  Content Reveal Contrasting Tree‐Growth Responses to Earthquakes

Mohr, Christian; Manga, Michael; Helle, Gerhard; Heinrich, Ingo; Giese, Laura; Korup, Oliver

doi:10.1029/2021jg006385

Cited by 65 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Understanding the conditions and mechanisms for earthquake‐induced changes, and the recovery processes and timescales after the earthquakes, remain the subject of active research (e.g., Kaown et al., 2021; Shi et al., 2015; Zhang, Shi et al., 2021). Earthquake‐induced changes to aquifers are more than curiosities as they may impact groundwater confinement (e.g., Liao et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2017; Zhang, Shi et al., 2021), water quality and contaminant transport (e.g., Gu et al., 2023; Hosono et al., 2019), water availability in wells (e.g., Fleeger, 1999; Rojstaczer & Wolf, 1992), and groundwater delivery to surface waters and ecosystems (e.g., Cox et al., 2012; Galassi et al., 2014; Hung & Weingarten, 2023; Mohr et al., 2021; Wang & Manga, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐ and Short‐Term Effects of Seismic Waves and Coseismic Pressure Changes on Fractured Aquifers

Zhang,

Manga,

et al. 2024

JGR Solid Earth

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Two adjacent groundwater wells on the North China Platform are used to study how earthquakes impacted aquifers. We use the response of water level to solid Earth tides to document changes after earthquakes and how aquifer and fracture properties recovered to pre‐earthquake properties. We consider two models for the phase and amplitude of water level response to the lunar diurnal (O1) and semidiurnal (M2) tides: a leaky aquifer model, and a model in which fracture orientation determines the response. In the leaky aquifer model, changes arise from changes in permeability and storage; in the fracture model, changes are due to changes in apparent orientation of transmissive fractures. Responses in one well are best explained by the leaky aquifer model, and can explain the large amplitude coseismic water level and permeability changes and the non‐recoverable changes after the largest earthquake. Responses in the other well are consistent with the fracture model and show little coseismic change in water level but changes in apparent fracture orientation. Larger ground motions lead to larger coseismic water level changes and longer recovery times. We propose that the well in the more permeable and shallow aquifer has less variable pore‐pressures around the well. Larger coseismic strains from water level changes may enable longer‐lasting changes in aquifer properties. We conclude that relatively high permeability aquifers are less susceptible to impacts from seismic waves, and thus have small changes in water levels and hydrogeological properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐ and Short‐Term Effects of Seismic Waves and Coseismic Pressure Changes on Fractured Aquifers

Zhang,

Manga,

et al. 2024

JGR Solid Earth

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“…For example, land shaking during an earthquake event could potentially damage the root system, break limbs and trunks, which may lead to growth suppression (narrow tree‐rings) or even the death of trees (Jacoby et al., 1988; Qiu et al., 2015; Yamaguchi et al., 1997). On the other hand, such events might facilitate the growth of trees by reducing neighborhood competition (Kitzberger et al., 1995), supplying sufficient soil nutrients and moisture (Bekker et al., 2018; Cheng et al., 2012) or enhancing photosynthesis (Mohr et al., 2021). Hence, variations in annual growth in trees (tree‐ring width data) are often used to date earthquake events and thus, are considered as one of the potential proxies in understanding earthquakes' impacts on forests (Pedrera et al., 2014; Stoffel et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Resilience in the Himalayas Inferred From Tree Growth After Earthquake Disturbances

Pandey,

Camarero,

et al. 2023

JGR Biogeosciences

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The Himalayas are one of the most seismically active regions in the world; thus, experiencing frequent catastrophic earthquakes. A growing body of evidence has shown that large earthquakes severely impact on forest ecosystems, particularly in mountain regions. However, little is known about the impact of severe earthquakes on Himalayan forests. Herein, we analyzed tree radial growth patterns following major earthquakes that occurred in 1833, 1905, 1916, 1934, and 1936 in the Himalayas. Based on 46 tree‐ring sites, 77%, 64%, 73%, 72%, and 77% of total analyzed trees showed responses to these seismic events, respectively. On average, 72% of responsive trees undergo growth suppressions following the earthquake events. Superposed epoch analysis showed a strong growth decline 1–5 years after the earthquake. A negative relationship was found between the percentage of responsive trees and the distance of the tree‐ring site from the earthquake's epicenter. The mean time required for 75% of trees to recover reached 5, 5, 5, 13, and 28 years following the earthquake of 1833, 1905, 1916, 1934, and 1936, respectively. The recovery time after a low growth period showed a negative relationship with the distance to earthquake's epicenter. However, the growth resistance improved with increasing distance from the epicenter. Thus, forests located close to earthquakes' epicenters can serve as reliable archive for the reconstruction of earthquakes' impacts. As the Himalayas are prone to earthquakes, adaptive management strategies are required to minimize the impacts of earthquakes on the mountain forest ecosystem.

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Shifts of forest resilience after seismic disturbances in tectonically active regions

Gao,

Liang,

Liu

et al. 2024

Nat. Geosci.

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Trees Talk Tremor—Wood Anatomy and Content Reveal Contrasting Tree‐Growth Responses to Earthquakes

Cited by 65 publications

References 100 publications

Long‐ and Short‐Term Effects of Seismic Waves and Coseismic Pressure Changes on Fractured Aquifers

Long‐ and Short‐Term Effects of Seismic Waves and Coseismic Pressure Changes on Fractured Aquifers

Forest Resilience in the Himalayas Inferred From Tree Growth After Earthquake Disturbances

Shifts of forest resilience after seismic disturbances in tectonically active regions

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