The
dating of
trees and
ancient wood by
measuring and counting the annual growth rings for, usually,
archaeological purposes. But hey, some people might do it just for
kicks.
Mostly, it is used for the dating of past events such as climate change. Larger rings mean more moist seasons, where a tree diverts energy to growth, smaller rings show harsher times.
In this way, dendrochronology can be used to trace rainfall, wind, snow, droughts, fires and volcanic activities throughout the life of the tree. The more varied the growth rings, the more a trees growth has been limited by changing environmental conditions. Similiary, the more constant the growth rings, the more a tree has led a fairly easy life, and climate conditions have been stable.