Tree Rings Reveal Amazon’s Rainfall History

Tree Rings Reveal Amazon’s Rainfall History

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Samples from eight cedar trees in Bolivia have helped shed light on the seasonal rainfall in the Amazon basin over the past century, say researchers. A study led by UK-based scientists said the data from the trees provided a key tool to assess the natural variation in the region’s climate system. It suggested that tree-rings from lowland tropical cedar provided a natural archive of rainfall data. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers explained that the region’s vast size and position on the equator, the response of the forested area’s hydrological cycle “may significantly affect the magnitude and speed of climate change for the entire globe.”