Satellite Image Dead Tree Top Guessing Game

[mdvaden]

Posted this in another forum, but thought it might be a fun one for a guessing-game.

 

A lady called me to look at 3 Douglas fir trees in the woods across a brook from her house today. They are the homeowners association forest. 2 other arborists have seen them and said to remove them - I agree. Maybe 70 to 90 years old, about 130 feet tall, with conks up most of the length of the trunks. Except, I said to keep the small one, seeing no conks, decay or problems, other than minimal lean, probably due to shade on one side.

 

Anyhow, I could barely see the upper trunks through the foliage, looking for topping or damage. But noticed a dead top nearby. Went up the hill to the other neighborhood, and ain't no way topping would have helped a view any time in past decades. Someone I suspect that some activity from years gone by, or some hidden condition, may be to blame.

 

But the dead tops stuck in my head - of the other tree or trees. So I went home and loaded Google Earth. Zooming in, 4 dead tops jumped right out. There is a top or two some blocks away, but near this address in those woods uphill, it struck me as very coincidental that all 4 dead tops are almost in a strsight line, all about the same distance above the brook and all on the same hillside, set down low in the small valley.

 

I'm not so much seeking an answer for this one, just wondering if anyone has looked at satellite images before, and noticed patterns like this or other.

 

But if you wanted to take a wild stab at this, go for it. Remember, the dead tops are not the 3 trees I went to see. They are right next to one of the two middle red arrows, which means they are in line with the dead top trees.

[Dean Lofthouse]

In line with a drainage ditch that someone may have dumped their old engine oil or someone threw their dishwater full of bleach in ??

[raafbeard]

Could have been a low flying UFO!?!?