A 578-year tree ring chronology from Sheep Mountain, Wyoming, provides paleoclimate data. The dataset was archived by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. The data was last updated in the system in 1990.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies by analyzing annual ring-width variations.
- Calibrate climate models using the 578-year proxy record for the period before present.
- Study the frequency of extreme climatic events, such as droughts, indicated by narrow tree rings.
- Compare this PSME (Pinus ponderosa) chronology with other regional tree-ring datasets to assess spatial climate patterns.
Strengths
- Covers a 578-year time period from 538 to -40 calendar years BP.
- Sourced from the authoritative NOAA/NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage ends at 40 years BP, providing no data for the most recent centuries.
- The dataset's last system update was in 1990, indicating potential metadata or format staleness.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single site (Sheep Mountain, Wyoming), limiting broad spatial analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring data collection (dendrochronology), likely from Pinus ponderosa (PSME).
- Time Range
- 538 to -40 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Sheep Mountain, Wyoming, United States of America.