dendrochronology Definition
the scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed in order to analyze past climate changes and events.
Using dendrochronology: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "dendrochronology" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Dendrochronology is used to study the history of forest fires, insect infestations, and other natural disasters.
Example
The dendrochronology research showed that the trees in the area had experienced a severe drought in the year 2000.
Example
Dendrochronology has been used to date ancient structures such as Native American pueblos.
Phrases with dendrochronology
cross-dating
a technique used in dendrochronology where the ring patterns from different trees are compared to each other to determine the age of the trees and the dates of past events
Example
Cross-dating allowed the researchers to accurately date the volcanic eruption that caused the destruction of the Minoan civilization.
tree-ring width
the thickness of the annual growth ring in a tree, which can be used to determine the age of the tree and the climate conditions during that year
Example
The tree-ring width data collected by dendrochronologists showed that the region had experienced a severe drought in the year 1580.
dendroclimatology
the study of past climate changes using tree-ring data
Example
Dendroclimatology research has shown that the Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Origins of dendrochronology
from Greek 'dendron' meaning 'tree' + 'chronos' meaning 'time' + 'logia' meaning 'the study of'
Summary: dendrochronology in Brief
Dendrochronology [den-druh-kruh-nol-uh-jee] is the scientific method of dating tree rings to analyze past climate changes and events. It is used to study the history of forest fires, insect infestations, and other natural disasters, and has been used to date ancient structures. Dendrochronology uses techniques like cross-dating and tree-ring width to determine the age of trees and dates of past events. The field of dendroclimatology studies past climate changes using tree-ring data.
