Ditch Canyon Tree Ring Chronology for Climate Reconstruction

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree ring chronology from the Ditch Canyon site in New Mexico. The dataset covers the period from 290 to -21 calendar years before present (BP), indicating a chronology that extends into the future relative to the 1950 baseline. It is maintained by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing past climate variables like precipitation or temperature using tree ring width measurements.
• Calibrating and validating climate models with a proxy record spanning over three centuries.
• Analyzing growth anomalies in ponderosa pine (PSME) to identify extreme historical drought or wet periods.
• Establishing a dated chronology for archaeological or geological studies in the region using the tree ring series.

Strengths

• Data is archived by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
• Chronology provides a continuous time series covering over 300 years (from 290 to -21 BP).

Limitations

• The dataset's last update date is 1971, indicating the metadata is likely stale and newer versions may exist.
• Specific data parameters, sample depth, and measurement statistics are not provided in the basic description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) of ponderosa pine (PSME) samples.

Time Range

290 to -21 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Ditch Canyon, New Mexico, United States of America.