The tree is known to weigh close to 6000 tons and the average blue whale usually weighs 150 tons, still impressive considering humans usually weigh less than 100kg, a small fraction of 1 ton.
According to scholars, the rings on the trees show an age close to biblical times, some where around before the time of Jesus, over 2000 years ago.
Sources
Ai estimation by Gemini.
Let's calculate how many blue whales match the weight of a giant sequoia tree.
First, let's establish the average weights:
* Blue whale: Blue whales can weigh between 100 to 200 tons (200,000 to 400,000 pounds), with an average often cited around 150 tons (300,000 pounds or 136,000 kg). Some sources state up to 330,000 pounds (150 tons).
* Giant Sequoia tree: The largest giant sequoia, General Sherman, is estimated to weigh around 6,167 tons (or 2.7 million pounds). Other large sequoias can weigh over 600 tons, and some estimates go up to 1300 tons or even 2105 short tons (1,910 metric tons). We'll use the General Sherman's weight as a prominent example.
Now, let's do the math:
Using the General Sherman tree's weight of 6,167 tons and an average blue whale weight of 150 tons:
6,167 \text{ tons (sequoia)} / 150 \text{ tons (blue whale)} \approx 41.11
So, approximately 41 blue whales would match the weight of a giant sequoia tree like General Sherman.
It's important to note that these are estimates, and the exact weights can vary for individual whales and trees.
~ Website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale?hl=en-GB