Definitions for "Dendrochronology"
An examination technique that uses the number and width of annual growth rings to date wood. The sequential variations in a tree's ring width correlate to the annual climatic conditions for its local geography. Measurement of 50-100 years of growth rings visible on an artwork is compared to master charts for a specific geographic zone to determine the active growing years for the tree before it was felled.
The science that uses tree rings dated to their exact year of formation to answer questions pertaining to various fields in the Earth sciences.
The dating of past events and variations in the environment and the climate by studying the annual growth rings of trees. The approximate age of a temperate forest tree can be determined by counting the annual growth rings in the lower part of the trunk. The width of these annual rings is indicative of the climatic conditions during the period of growth; wide annual rings signify favorable growing conditions, absence of diseases and pests, and favorable climatic conditions, while narrow rings indicate unfavorable growing conditions or climate.