These rings can tell us how old the tree is, and what the weather was like during each year of the tree's life. The light-colored rings represent wood that grew in the spring and early summer, while the dark rings represent wood that grew in the late summer and fall.

What do small tree rings indicate?

Smaller rings show shorter or slower growing seasons which means either the temperature was low or the tree didn't have enough water to grow very much. Tree rings can also tell us about the environmental conditions that the tree was growing in.

What is a false ring in dendrochronology?

Occasionally, a ring isn't grown during a year – called "locally absent" or "missing" for that year. Occasionally, more than one ring is grown during a year – called "false" for that year.