But this is what the leaves look like. These are typical of what is happening on a massive scale. They aren't shading to gorgeous hues of red, magenta, orange and gold. Instead, they are pockmarked, shriveled, scorched, and falling to the ground prematurely in vast quantities.
Have people forgotten that trees as recently as two years ago had crowns dense with foliage? Don't they notice that leaves are individually smaller than they should be? Don't they wonder why the sidewalks are covered with dead brown leaves? Does it not seem at all peculiar that leaves are limp, dry and wilted?
The conifer on the left should be lush and full - the tree on the right has a few stunted pears on it, and hardly any leaves at all.
Normally, the canopy of the woods would block out most of the sky. But then, things are no longer normal.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/07/disasters Melting ice and rising seas leads to increased volcanic activity, earthquakes and tsunamis! Yay!
Methane:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es9026387
Gradual warming of a regional current has caused temperature-sensitive methane hydrate below the seabed to break down and discharge the gas, the researchers say.
You know, I've been seeing the same thing in Baltimore. Just exactly as you describe. Trees are going over in Leakin Park in unusually large numbers ...stately trees which were big and strong 10 years ago. A dense canopy, now becoming see-through. With strong ivy growth.
ReplyDeleteEven the wild violets which I encourage in my back yard, unlike the lush green which seemed to survive late into winter, have that mottled scorched look depicted in your photo.
Yes, Something is afoot.
Janice in Baltimore
Hi Gail,
ReplyDeleteWe live about 50 miles south west of you.
Some of our local trees and shrubs are also possibly showing signs of air pollution. Specifically NO2 induced ozone and acid rain.
In the last several years there has been a frequent (once a month) weather phenomena which I had not seen before in 50 years in this area. With slow and stable winds (moving from southwest to northeast) and some humidity, there have been very dense very white clouds moving close to ground level. Also the distinctive taste of SO2 at the back of the throat.
There are vast amounts of coal being burned to the south west of us. Based on the SO2/SO4-- taste, and the clouds, I think we might be in the landing zone for smoke stack effluent.
The pictures in this article will look familiar.
http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS.2001.85.1.4?cookieSet=1
Keep up you blogging, please, and thankyou!
Mike in Chester County
Hello Mike in Chester County, that link does not work for me. Can you try posting it again or give me search terms for the googling that will locate it? You might go to http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/ and look at their pictures or contact them about the clouds. Thanks for reading and sharing!
ReplyDeleteGail