The monsoon season in Asia plays a crucial role in nourishing the crops that sustain a significant portion of the global population. However, the impact of climate change on the monsoon varies across regions and over time, leading to more extreme rains, prolonged dry spells, or shifts in the season’s patterns.
At the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, researchers have been studying the history of the monsoon by analyzing tree rings. Tree rings serve as a record of annual precipitation, offering insights into past dry and wet periods that date back centuries. This research has unveiled severe droughts in the past, some of which may have led to the downfall of entire civilizations.
In remote mountain areas, scientists are racing against time to gather samples from ancient trees before they are lost. The audio slideshow accompanying this article takes you on a journey to the highlands of Vietnam, where massive thousand-year-old cypresses still stand tall, for now. Explore the link between tree rings, climate change, and the monsoon season in this fascinating expedition.
