Arizona tree ring data from the Navajo National Monument provides a climate proxy record spanning 658 years, from 646 to 12 calendar years before present. The dataset was archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. The original study was published in 1962.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct historical precipitation and temperature patterns for the Colorado Plateau region using annual tree ring width measurements.
- Calibrate and validate climate models by comparing simulated past climates with the proxy data from the PSME (Pinus strobiformis) species.
- Analyze the frequency and severity of past drought events in Arizona by examining sequences of narrow rings in the chronology.
- Study the ecological response of ponderosa pine ecosystems to long-term climate changes over a 658-year period.
Strengths
- 658-year temporal coverage provides a long-term climate record.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- The dataset's temporal coverage ends 12 years before present (circa 1950), limiting analysis of recent climate trends.
- Sample size and replication statistics for the tree ring chronology are unknown from the provided metadata.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single monument site in Arizona, which may not represent broader regional patterns.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) of Pinus strobiformis (PSME) samples.
- Time Range
- 646 to -12 calendar years BP.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Navajo National Monument, Arizona, United States.