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Trees Call for Help—And Now Scientists Can Understand
Scientists may have learned how to identify the unique sounds made by bubbles forming inside drought-stressed trees.
When drought hits, trees can suffer—a process that makes sounds. Now, scientists may have found the key to understanding these cries for help.In the lab, a team of French scientists has captured the ultrasonic noise made by bubbles forming inside water-stressed trees. Because trees also make noises that aren't related to drought impacts, scientists hadn't before been able to discern which sounds are most worrisome.
(Watch a video: Drought 101.)
"With this experiment we start to understand the origin of acoustic events in trees," said Alexandre Ponomarenko, a physicist at Grenoble University in France, whose team conducted the research.
More on nationalgeographic
When drought hits, trees can suffer—a process that makes sounds. Now, scientists may have found the key to understanding these cries for help.In the lab, a team of French scientists has captured the ultrasonic noise made by bubbles forming inside water-stressed trees. Because trees also make noises that aren't related to drought impacts, scientists hadn't before been able to discern which sounds are most worrisome.
(Watch a video: Drought 101.)
"With this experiment we start to understand the origin of acoustic events in trees," said Alexandre Ponomarenko, a physicist at Grenoble University in France, whose team conducted the research.
More on nationalgeographic
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