West Virginia Tree Ring Chronology from 474 to 31 BCE

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree ring dataset from the Knob Job - JUVI site in West Virginia, USA. The chronology covers a 506-year period from 474 to 31 calendar years before present. This study was published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 1981.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using the tree-ring width chronology.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree-ring proxy data with instrumental records for the region.
• Analyze growth patterns and potential disturbances within the 506-year tree-ring record.
• Study the frequency of extreme climatic events, such as droughts, reflected in narrow ring sequences.

Strengths

• 506-year continuous chronology providing a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally stale, with a last update date of 1981, potentially missing modern analytical refinements.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site (Knob Job - JUVI) in West Virginia, limiting regional representativeness.
• Specific parameters, measurement methods, and sample depth are not detailed in the provided description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology).

Time Range

474 to -31 calendar years BP (Before Present, where 0 BP = 1950 CE).

Freshness

1981-01-01

Geography

West Virginia, United States Of America.