Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology:
- ology: the study of
- chronos: time, or more specifically events in past time
- dendros: using trees, or more specifically the growth rings of trees
Applications in dendrochronology include:
- ecology: insect outbreaks, forest stand structure, past fires (see image to the right):
- The white arrows indicate distinct fires of the past
- Each of those fires has been dendrochronologically dated to the year it burned
- climatology: past droughts or cold periods
- geology: past earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
- anthropology: past construction, habitation, and abandonment of societies
Common objectives:
- Put the present in perspective of the past
- Better understand current environmental processes and conditions
Requirement: exact year of formation of each growth ring is known:
- Dendrochronologists don't merely count rings
- Dendrochronologists crossdate: also known as pattern matching
- Follow these web pages to learn why and how to crossdate and then You Try It! for yourself.
Good idea: Visit the web site of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research for information on research and education in dendrochronology from around the world
Pattern Matching |
Sensitivity |
Example Application |
Master Chronology |
Introduction |
Relative Scale