Tree ring width measurements from West Virginia cover a 193-year period from 359 to 166 years before present. This paleoclimatology dataset is archived by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service. The data was contributed by researcher de Graauw and is associated with the International Tree-Ring Data Bank.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct past climate variables like temperature or precipitation using tree ring width as a proxy.
- Calibrate and validate climate models for the eastern United States with the 193-year chronology.
- Analyze growth patterns and environmental stressors for tree species in the West Virginia region.
- Compare this site's chronology (ITRDB code WV028) with other regional tree ring records for spatial climate analysis.
Strengths
- Data spans a continuous 193-year period (359-166 BP), providing a multi-century record.
- Archived and maintained by the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- The temporal coverage is relatively short for paleoclimate studies at under 200 years.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single site in West Virginia, reducing broad spatial applicability.
- The 'last updated' metadata date of 1784-01-01 indicates potential staleness in metadata management.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring sampling and measurement (dendrochronology), archived under the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB).
- Time Range
- 359 to 166 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- West Virginia, United States Of America.