Any idea what happened here?

[Island Lescure]

Nothing on opposite side. No buckling or twisting. No smell from exudation. Thought it might be lightning damage at first but nothing above, could it still be?

[Fredward]

Could be an old frost crack?

[treesrus]

looks quite an old wound, probably lightning while the upper part of the tree has fully recovered. maybe, in the crown, the branch hit by lightning, totally destroyed has now gone, could take a closer look higher up.

[10 Bears]

Doesn't look like lightening to me, as lightening always has a slight spiral effect to it - in your images this looks like it is formed as a straight vertical?

 

It puts me more in mind of a 'blunt-nosed rib' where lateral or swaying forces have caused the stem to separate along a weak axis - but not to the full extent of going right through to the other side.

 

See P25 of this: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcpg13.pdf/$file/fcpg13.pdf

[Island Lescure]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I thought frost cracks are a myth?

 

Its not a tall tree and the crown is fine bar a partially failed branch probably from wind or snow.

 

I find it strange that it has managed to occlude and manage the higher region but not at all the lower.

 

I will have to prod and hammer the bottom portion to see if there is decay as I am happy with the top portion but not the bottom.

[10 Bears]

Two or more movement incidents at different times causing the occlusion at the top and open at the bottom.

 

Sent via the arbtalk app, hence the brevity...

[Stephen Blair]

Someone's drawn a knife down it and peeled the bark after watching Ray Mears!

Probably cut off that Wee branch at the same time trying to make a bow!

[treeseer]

Prod and hammer? Cleaning comes first, then trimming dead bark.

[Island Lescure]

Cheers for the ideas!

[Stefan Palokangas]

Lightning strike seems it was a while ago

 

 

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