Fossil Butte Tree Ring Chronology for Paleoclimate Analysis

Tree ring width measurements from Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming, provide a climate proxy record. The chronology spans 518 years, from 470 to -48 calendar years before present. The dataset was archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology and last updated in 1998.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies by analyzing the tree ring width time-series.
• Calibrate climate models using the 518-year dendrochronological record from a single geographic site.
• Study climate events and trends in the Wyoming region during the period covered by the chronology.
• Compare this site's tree ring growth patterns with other chronologies to assess regional climate signals.

Strengths

• 518-year continuous chronology for climate analysis.
• Data curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with a last update in 1998.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in Wyoming.
• The raw sample data and specific measurement parameters are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring measurements (dendrochronology).

Time Range

470 to -48 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1998-01-01

Geography

Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming, United States.