Big Thompson River Tree-Ring Chronology From 250 BC

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree-ring dataset from the Big Thompson River area in Colorado. The chronology spans from 250 to -14 calendar years before present, indicating coverage from approximately 250 BC to 14 AD. This dataset was contributed by Fritts and is managed by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing past climate variables like temperature or precipitation using annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrating climate models by comparing the tree-ring proxy record with instrumental data for the Colorado region.
• Analyzing growth patterns (e.g., ring-width indices) to identify periods of environmental stress or favorable conditions from 250 BC to 14 AD.
• Cross-dating this PSME (Ponderosa Pine) chronology with other regional tree-ring series to validate and extend climate reconstructions.

Strengths

• Chronology provides a proxy climate record covering a 264-year period in the pre-instrumental era.
• Data is archived and curated by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a specific 264-year window, preventing analysis of longer-term trends.
• Geographic scope is restricted to a single site (Big Thompson River, Colorado), limiting regional generalization.
• The dataset's last recorded update was in 1964, indicating the core data is historical and may not reflect modern reanalysis techniques.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring data collection (dendrochronology) from Ponderosa Pine (PSME) samples.

Time Range

250 to -14 calendar years BP (approximately 250 BC to 14 AD).

Freshness

null

Geography

Big Thompson River area, Colorado, United States of America.