Findley Lake Tree Ring Chronology from Washington State

Tree ring width measurements from Tsuga mertensiana trees at Findley Lake, Washington, provide a paleoclimate record spanning 176 years, from 150 to -26 calendar years before present. The data is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information as part of the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. This study was published in 1976.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct annual temperature or precipitation anomalies from tree ring width series.
• Analyze growth patterns of Tsuga mertensiana (mountain hemlock) over a 176-year period.
• Cross-date this chronology with other regional tree ring datasets to validate climate signals.
• Calibrate the tree ring series against instrumental climate records for the Washington region.

Strengths

• Time series covers 176 calendar years (150 to -26 BP).
• Data originates from NOAA's authoritative World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
• Focuses on a single species (Tsuga mertensiana) at a specific site for consistency.

Limitations

• Sample size (number of trees/cores) is unknown, potentially limiting statistical robustness.
• The data is from a single lake site in Washington, limiting geographic representativeness.
• Last updated in 1976, indicating it is a historical dataset with no recent updates.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.

Collection Method

Tree ring measurements (dendrochronology) from Tsuga mertensiana trees.

Time Range

150 to -26 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1976-01-01

Geography

Findley Lake, Washington, United States of America.