Iowa Tree Ring Chronology For Paleoclimate Reconstruction

327-year tree ring chronology from the Saylorville Dam area in Iowa, covering the period from 296 to -31 calendar years before present. Data was archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology and is associated with the NCEI Tree Ring study type. The dataset was last updated in 1981.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct historical climate variables like temperature or precipitation using tree ring width measurements.
• Analyze growth patterns and anomalies in the tree ring chronology to identify past environmental events.
• Calibrate and validate climate models for the Midwestern US using the 327-year proxy record.
• Compare this Iowa chronology with other regional tree ring datasets to study spatial climate patterns.

Strengths

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

Limitations

• Dataset is temporally stale, with a last update date of 1981.
• Specific sample size, measurement parameters, and data formats are not provided in the description.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site near Saylorville Dam, Iowa.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring data collection (dendrochronology).

Time Range

296 to -31 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Iowa, United States Of America (specific location: Saylorville Dam area).