NOAA/NCEI archives a tree ring chronology for a Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) site near Helena, Montana. The dataset covers 401 years, from 385 to -15 calendar years before present (BP), providing proxy climate data. It was published by the NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, with a record last updated in 1965.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using the annual tree-ring width series.
- Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree-ring chronology against instrumental records for the Montana region.
- Analyze growth response patterns in Pseudotsuga menziesii to infer past environmental stressors.
- Establish a regional dendrochronological master chronology by cross-dating this ITRDB MT100 series with other local samples.
Strengths
- Covers a 401-year time period (385 to -15 BP), offering a multi-century climate proxy.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage ends at -15 BP (~1965 CE), lacking recent decades for modern climate comparison.
- Data is from a single tree species (PSME) at one location (Helena, MT), limiting geographic representativeness.
- Specific sample depth, measurement statistics, and climate parameter details are not provided in the summary.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring data collected from Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) samples.
- Time Range
- 385 to -15 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Helena, Montana, United States of America.