I have seen a couple of posts today about Exploding Trees in Minnesota due to the cold temperatures. A phenomenon in which extreme cold causes trees to split. The sudden cracking can sound like a gunshot. I had never heard of this before. Just wondering if any of you have.
I have definitely heard of it up here. Never actually seen it myself though.
I seen a couple posts on it also and I sent my daughter one down in Illinois. Now she mocks me every night around bed time by messaging me to tell me, "the tree's are exploding".
Believe it was in the late 70's that western Colorado had spring like weather in January. Lasted about two weeks. Trees started running sap when the temperature dropped to 20 below. Trees froze and split due to the sap expanding in the trees. Lost a lot of their fruit trees and it was said to sound like gunshots going off all night.
Trees do not literally explode into pieces, but they can produce loud, gunshot-like noises and split open due to extreme, rapid cold, a phenomenon known as "frost cracking". This happens when water inside the wood freezes and expands, or when the outer bark contracts faster than the interior, causing the tree to crack.
Key Details on "Exploding" Trees:
The Cause: Rapidly plunging temperatures cause sap and moisture inside the tree to freeze and expand, while the outer bark tightens, causing the wood to crack, according to KCCI.
The Sound: These cracks can sound like gunshots or loud pops.
The Reality: While the noise is loud, trees do not blow apart; they typically develop deep, vertical, longitudinal cracks in their trunks.
Common Targets: Thin-barked trees, such as maples, cherries, and birch, are more susceptible to this, notes Treehugger.
Healing: In most cases, the tree will survive and heal these cracks over time, although they can leave lasting damage.
This phenomenon is more of a mechanical failure of the wood fibers due to severe temperature changes, not a combustion-based explosion.
nastygunz getting his Google on :readthis: :laf:
So basically a tree is a big waterline when the sap is running. Just like a water line, they can freeze and burst. I can see that happening in cold climates.