Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A viral social media post warned Midwesterners about the dangers of "exploding trees" as extreme cold weather hits the region. But ...

Social media posts warning of "exploding trees" in subzero temperatures are mischaracterizing a phenomenon known as frost cracks. Frost cracks form when water inside trees freezes and expands. As a ...

When temperatures plunge and the air goes painfully still, people in northern forests sometimes hear a sharp crack that sounds like a gunshot. That eerie noise has fueled a viral claim that trees ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. If you're looking to go viral on social media, all you really have to do is come up with a real-but-extraordinarily-rare ...

This weekend, much of the United States is expecting to be hit with a polar vortex with extreme cold — cold that's icy, bone-chilling and … explosive? As people prepare for these frigid temperatures, ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

John Seiler was strolling across Virginia Tech’s campus with his students Thursday morning when something stopped them in their tracks: a sweet cherry tree with an unusual jagged scar running along ...

Much online discussion has been hovering around the subject of frozen exploding trees this winter, following multiple videos and reports. A Facebook update from the page, Ethereal Earth, went viral in ...

As a fierce winter blast sweeps across large parts of the United States, social media is filled with startling videos and first-hand accounts of what people are calling ‘exploding trees.’ Loud ...

The explosive cracks often happen late at night or early morning when temperatures reach their lowest point." Matz also said that, when temperatures "rise or fall quickly" by 40 to 60 degrees in a day ...

It turns out that trees can actually explode when temperatures drop. Trees can explode during extreme cold due to sap expansion when it freezes. Oak, maple, and fruit trees with high moisture are most ...