This false-color aerial image from Landsat 8 shows several examples of windthrow. The brownish-red region is a recent windthrow, while the bright green represents an older windthrow populated with new plant growth.

Researchers mapped more than 1,000 major windthrow events from 1990-2019. Each of these large blowdowns covered more than 25,000 square meters. By comparing the locations of windthrows with data about atmospheric conditions, researchers found a relationship that can be incorporated into future climate models.