Central Andes Tree Ring Width Composite for Paleoclimate Analysis

290 calendar years of tree-ring width data from 246 to -44 years before present, reconstructed for the Central Andes region. This paleoclimatology dataset is archived by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service. The data was last updated in the repository in January 1994.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct historical temperature or precipitation anomalies for the Central Andes using the tree-ring width chronology as a proxy.
• Analyze the temporal resolution of the tree-ring width series to identify periods of climatic stress or favorable growth conditions.
• Calibrate the tree-ring width proxy data against instrumental records to develop transfer functions for past climate variables.
• Compare the Central Andes composite chronology with other regional tree-ring datasets to study large-scale climate patterns like ENSO.

Strengths

• Covers a continuous 290-year period from 246 to -44 BP, providing a multi-century climate record.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• The dataset's last update was in 1994, indicating it is a static archive and may not reflect newer methodologies or corrections.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a specific composite location in Argentina, Central Andes.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis; composite chronology constructed from multiple tree samples.

Time Range

246 to -44 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

Static archive; last updated 1994-01-01.

Geography

Central Andes, Argentina.