Any explanations why a tree would split like this?

[janey]

Firstly, I apologise for the naff quality of my pics...

 

This was a large, mature oak in one of the parks I've been surveying in, about 1m away from a river bank. The large diagonal split extends from ground level to about 3-3.5m upwards and was approx' 10cm wide at the base and tapered. As you can see, it was all the way through the trunk and there were rather alarming sounds of the fibres continuing to rend while I was poking around. There was some evidence of soil movement immediately around the base on the river side.

 

I've never come across this type of splitting in a tree before. The only thing I can liken it to is some of the tree related subsidence damage I've seen in properties, which made me think that perhaps it was maybe due to some movement / collapse in the riverbank?

 

Can anyone give an explanation as to what's going on?

[Dean Lofthouse]

That's a good one Janey...no idea

 

I was going to say movement of tectonic plates

[janey]

That's a good one Janey...no idea

 

I was going to say movement of tectonic plates

 

 

Or the gravatational pull of planetary alignments?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

an extending shear bomb crack, nasty one too.

 

adding an elaboration!

 

its a shear crack, often a tree will on maturing develop a conflict of forces between the stem fibres and root plate as this alters from tap to heart rooted form. the shear bomb is a kind of stress realease but sometimes it is cataostrophic like this and continues past the neutral fiber zone.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[Stephen Blair]

That's cracking that is

[janey]

an extending shear bomb crack, nasty one too

 

That sounds more like a 90's rock anthem (RATM ).

 

What's that in Inglish, please, dear?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

see edit janey, i can go further and simpler!

 

teasing sarcasm

[janey]

teasing sarcasm

 

I'm well aware of that

 

You hadn't edited your reply before I'd posted. Your explanation is understandable and appreciated, thank you.

 

Ya pish taking...

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

those short cracks in the butts of trees, lots of oaks in particular im sure you are familiar with?

 

they never extend beyond the hot spot or nuetral fibre zone, unless this like yours occurs which is basicaly a longtitudinal shear. The tree is in big trouble when this happens as it is in effect now two trees with root systems on only 2/3rds their circumference of stem, and we all know what happens when we cut the roots of one side!

[Sam Thompson]

those short cracks in the butts of trees, lots of oaks in particular im sure you are familiar with?

 

they never extend beyond the hot spot or nuetral fibre zone, unless this like yours occurs which is basicaly a longtitudinal shear. The tree is in big trouble when this happens as it is in effect now two trees with root systems on only 2/3rds their circumference of stem, and we all know what happens when we cut the roots of one side!

 

For the monkey like forester Tony, what is the hot spot and neutral fibre zone?