Resource Catalog
Document
Type: Journal Article
Publication Date: 2007
Historical evidence suggests that great wildfires burning in the Lake States and Canada can affect atmospheric conditions several hundred miles away (Smith 1950; Wexler 1950). Several 'dark' or 'yellow' days, as such events are commonly called, have been recorded, often with anecdotal or direct evidence pointing to wildfires as the source (Plummer 1912; Ludlum 1972). One such 'dark day' occurred across New England in 1780, a year in which people were technologically unable to confirm the source of such a phenomenon. Here we combine written accounts and fire scar evidence to document wildfire as the likely source of the infamous Dark Day of 1780.
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Citation: McMurry, Erin R.; Stambaugh, Michael C.; Guyette, Richard P.; Dey, Daniel C. 2007. Fire scars reveal source of New England's 1780 Dark Day. International Journal of Wildland Fire 16(3):266-270.
Cataloging Information
Regions:
Keywords:
- dendrochronology
- drought
- fire case histories
- fire injuries (plants)
- fire management
- fire scars
- New England
- Pinus resinosa
- precipitation
- smoke management
- wildfires
- wildfires
Tall Timbers Record Number: 21618 • Location Status: In-file • Call Number: Journals-I • Abstract Status: Okay, Fair use, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 8735
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