system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How trees get their rings.

I'm sure we all know the saying that for every ring you see in a stump of a tree, each ring is supposed to represent one year of the trees life.  I'm sure that statement is debatable... but my question is how are those rings formed?

I hope that question makes sense. I'm just confused as to how a tree, which grows continually overtime, has noticeable rings that can represent the lifespan of the tree.
gpt
Trees grow at different rates at different times in the year, producing slightly different appearances in cross-section. After roughly a full year, the tree should cycle through a similar pattern of growth.