Forest Regrowth

Each layer in the Clarno Palisades preserves a story.

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Each layer of the Palisades was once a forest floor, which were later buried under lahars. These lahars were so strong that some trees were easily flattened, like the two trees now fossilized in the cliffside.

Decades, centuries, or even millennia separated each layer of the Palisades, giving a forest the chance to grow before being flattened once again. Paleontologists use the fossils within these layers to understand the recovery and regrowth after each eruption. In areas you’ve lived in or visited, have you noticed the landscape recover after a major natural disaster such as a mudslide, wildfire, or even a volcanic eruption?