Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Wood

A newly developed NMR imaging method in radiology is used to obtain images of a piece of cherry firewood. The moisture contained in the firewood produces RF signals that are used to reconstruct a series of three-dimensional cross-sectional images. Detailed structural information such as annual rings, a worm hole, and an embedded knot are shown. An introduction to the practice of NMR imaging and some possible applications of this new technique in forestry and wood-science-related research are presented