Abstract
Dendrogeomorphic analyses of mass movement events have been sparingly conducted at sites in the western United States, and are especially uncommon in the eastern U.S. The goal of this study was to determine if southeastern tree species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) record evidence of debris slides in their tree-ring record. Following initial reconnaissance on three debris slide scars on Mt. Le Conte in GSMNP, we performed preliminary dendrogeomorphic analysis on one of the slides, LC01. This slide is considered, although not thoroughly documented, to have occurred following a cloudburst on September 1, 1951. The identification of suppressed growth beginning in 1952 confirmed the correspondence of the debris slide at LC01 with the cloudburst event and, combined with the identification of accessible and discernable evidence of the impact of debris slides on trees, served as confirmation of current and future use of dendrogeomorphic methods on Mt. Le Conte and in GSMNP.
Recommended Citation
Rochner, Maegen L. and Grissino-Mayer, Henri D.
(2016)
"Testing the Feasibility of Dendrogeomorphic Studies in the Southeastern U.S. on Mt. Le Conte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A.,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 57:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol57/iss1/1