Tree Ring Chronology From British Columbia Spanning 749 Years

A tree-ring chronology dataset from the 'Top of the World' site in British Columbia, Canada, archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. The data provides a 749-year record of annual tree growth, covering the period from 706 to -43 calendar years before present. It was published by NOAA NCEI, with the record last updated in 1993.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct historical temperature or precipitation anomalies by analyzing annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate radiocarbon dating or synchronize timelines by matching the tree-ring pattern sequence to master chronologies.
• Study the frequency of environmental disturbances like fires or insect outbreaks through the analysis of growth anomaly markers in the rings.
• Investigate ecological responses to past climate events by correlating the growth index series with known volcanic or solar forcing events.

Strengths

• Provides a 749-year continuous chronology from 706 to -43 BP.
• Sourced from the authoritative NOAA/NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Data record was last updated in 1993 and may lack modern reanalysis or calibration.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single site in British Columbia, reducing regional representativeness.
• Specific measurement parameters and sample depth are not detailed in the provided description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring sampling and measurement (dendrochronology).

Time Range

706 to -43 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1993-01-01

Geography

British Columbia, Canada ('Top of the World' site).