You find an old tree stump in a forest and would like to use it for tree- ring analysis, but you don't know when the tree was cut down. The best way to establish dates for the analysis is to:
A) compare patterns in the tree rings to ring chronologies sampled from nearby trees on known dates.
B) assign small rings to years of known droughts.
C) estimate the age of the tree stump based on the level of decay it has experienced.
D) submit the tree stump to carbon- 14 dating analysis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best way to establish dates for tree-ring analysis is to compare the patterns in the tree rings to ring chronologies taken from nearby trees on known dates. This is because the growth patterns of trees in a region are influenced by the same external factors like temperature, rainfall, and soil chemistry, and so their rings will share similar patterns over time. By comparing patterns in the tree rings of the stump to those of known trees, scientists can determine the calendar year when each ring was formed and thereby establish the approximate age of the tree.

You Find an Old Tree Stump in a Forest and Would