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Dendrochronology, Progress

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Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods

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Definition

Dendrochronology derives from the Greek words “dendron” (tree) and “chronology” (study of time), and it allows for the precise dating of annual tree rings based on the analysis of tree-ring patterns among several trees. Dendrochronology combined with other disciplines has allowed for substantial progress in environmental studies (see Cross-References).

Introduction

During recent years, dendrochronologists have faced the challenge of getting more information from tree rings, pushing its own limits to understand a wider range of climatic/environmental factors, to obtain seasonal resolution, and to reconstruct larger spatial scales and longer temporal time spans of climate variability. This is important because instrumental records cover only a limited time period and are insufficient for characterizing decadal and centennial climatic features. Different strategies are being explored to address these challenges. First, different standardization approaches have been designed to...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA

    Laia Andreu-Hayles & Caroline Leland

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  1. Laia Andreu-Hayles
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  2. Caroline Leland
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Correspondence to Caroline Leland .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    W. Jack Rink

  2. Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Jeroen Thompson

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Andreu-Hayles, L., Leland, C. (2014). Dendrochronology, Progress. In: Rink, W., Thompson, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_31-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_31-1

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