Fire History Reconstruction From Tree Rings In Washington State

Tree ring data from Washington State reconstructs fire history over a 379-year period from 330 to -49 calendar years before present. This paleoclimatology study, archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, focuses on fire as a key environmental parameter. The dataset was last updated in the NOAA system in 1999.

Use Cases

• Model fire return intervals and frequency using the time-series of fire events recorded in tree rings.
• Correlate fire history data with other paleoclimate proxies to analyze climate-fire relationships.
• Reconstruct historical fire severity and extent from the fire scar and growth release data within the tree-ring chronology.
• Calibrate regional fire history models using the geographically specific data point from Washington State.

Strengths

• Covers a 379-year temporal range (330 to -49 BP), providing a multi-century perspective.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with a last recorded update in 1999.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single location (South Deep Aspect Polygon 7, Washington).
• Sample size and specific row/column counts are unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data derived from tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) to identify fire scars and events.

Time Range

330 to -49 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

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Geography

Washington, United States Of America (specific location: South Deep Aspect Polygon 7).