dendrochronology

American  

[den-droh-kruh-nol-uh-jee] / ˌdɛn droʊ krəˈnɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the science dealing with the study of the annual rings of trees in determining the dates and chronological order of past events.

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dendrochronology British  

/ ˌdɛndrəʊˌkrɒnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌdɛndrəʊkrəˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the annual rings of trees, used esp to date past events

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dendrochronology Scientific  

/ dĕn′drō-krə-nŏl′ə-jē /

1. The study of growth rings in trees for the purpose of analyzing past climate conditions or determining the dates of past events. Because trees grow more slowly in periods of drought or other environmental stress than they do under more favorable conditions, the size of the rings they produce varies. Analyzing the pattern of a tree's rings provides information about the environmental changes that took place during the period in which it was growing. Matching the pattern in trees whose age is known to the pattern in wood found at an archaeological site can establish the age at which the wood was cut and thus the approximate date of the site. By comparing living trees with old lumber and finding overlapping ring patterns, scientists have established chronological records for some species that go back as far as 9,000 years.

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Other Word Forms

• dendrochronological
  adjective
• dendrochronologically
  adverb
• dendrochronologist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dendrochronology

First recorded in 1925–30; dendro- + chronology

Explanation

Dendrochronology is the science of calculating how old a tree is by studying its growth rings. When you count fifty-two rings in the trunk of a felled tree and determine it's about 50 years old, that's basic dendrochronology. Dendrochronology derives from the Greek roots dendron, meaning "tree"; khronos, meaning "time"; and -logia, meaning "the study of." Botanists who practice dendrochronology are experts in dating rings in the cross section of a tree trunk — determining the precise years each ring was formed. They can also learn details about the climate in specific years from examining these growth rings, which show evidence of cold snaps, droughts, and unusually warm temperatures.

Example Sentences

They will use dendrochronology, also known as tree ring dating, where the rings in the wood are counted to establish the age of a tree.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2024

Luckily for dendrochronology, spikes in cosmic radiation generate spikes in atmospheric levels of carbon-14, the isotope whose slow decay is the clock that anchors radiocarbon dating.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2023

Fortunately, the field of dendrochronology can come to the rescue.

From Scientific American • Sep. 27, 2023

The tree-ring aging confirmed the historical record, said Mr. Dyer, who said he hopes dendrochronology will continue to offer insights into the identities of other shipwrecks.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2022

One of the advantages of dendrochronology is that, providing reliable reference records are available, the technique can be used to date events to the nearest year.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015