Part 1: The Story
At noon all over New England on May 19, 1780, it was black as night. Some people thought judgment day was at hand. The mystery remained unexplained for centuries. Nearly 230 years later, researchers uncovered the answer using an unexpected methodology—studying tree rings.
Using samples from southern Ontario, scientists found a major fire had burned in 1780 creating large smoke columns carried into the upper atmosphere shrouding much of New England in darkness.
Dendrochronology, the study of tree rings as a way to understand past events, is a tool created by an insightful scientist named Andrew Ellicott Douglass. At the University of Arizona in 1937, he began collecting the samples that would become the foundation of the world’s first tree-ring collection specifically for the purposes of a tree ring lab and research facility.
“THE EQUIPMENT HAS RECEIVED DAILY AND HEAVY USE SINCE AND HAS PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. THREE TO FIVE YEARS ON, IT HAS NOT REQUIRED EVEN MINOR ADJUSTMENT, AND NO REPAIRS OF ANY KIND.”
–Pearce Paul Creasman, Ph.D. | Curator & Associate Professor
Satisfied customer of our dealer, Certified Business Services, Inc
Part 2: The Solution
In 2013, the University of Arizona began work on a brand new tree ring lab and research facility. They needed help with a unique challenge: how to protect and store samples more than twelve feet in diameter and could weigh hundreds of pounds. Aurora Storage® created a system to meet current and future needs.
Aurora Mobile Shelving System
After consultation with the research curator and the dealer, Aurora Storage sent samples of shelving they specially manufactured to conform to exact specifications that would accommodate various box sizes for specimens. The company recommendation was to use an Aurora Mobile Shelving System to maximize storage space.
Carriages glide apart on rails to create an open access aisle, then glide together to close the entire system for a space efficient footprint. Rails are barrier free for ADA accessibility and provide easy access for lab carts. Mechanical assist handles feature reducing gears to smoothly move even a fully loaded system with little effort. Shelving components are finished with powder coating that is inert and eco-friendly with no off-gassing of volatile organic compounds to harm invaluable samples.
With the right storage system in place, these samples will continue to tell us stories of the past for decades to come. ▲
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