Discovering the Secrets of Tree Rings: A Teen's Guide
Tree rings are concentric circles present inside a tree trunk that tell us about its age and growth history. The outermost ring grows during the spring or early summer, while the inner ones grow later in the season when conditions may be harsher. By analyzing these patterns of thick and thin rings, scientists can learn about past droughts, forest fires or even volcanic eruptions! Studying tree rings is called dendrochronology – it’s like having a time machine right before our eyes