Horsetooth Reservoir Tree Ring Chronology from Colorado

Tree ring width measurements from Colorado provide a 187-year chronology from 150 to -37 calendar years before present. This paleoclimatology dataset is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. The data was last updated in 1987.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past precipitation or temperature using tree ring width as a proxy climate indicator.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree ring chronology with instrumental records for the Colorado region.
• Analyze growth anomalies in the tree ring series to identify past drought or volcanic events.
• Cross-date tree ring patterns from the PSME (Pinus ponderosa) species with other regional chronologies.

Strengths

• Chronology spans 187 calendar years, providing a multi-century environmental record.
• Data is curated and archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, an authoritative source.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with no updates since its publication in 1987.
• The geographic scope is limited to a single site at Horsetooth Reservoir, Colorado.
• Sample size and replication level of the underlying tree cores are unknown.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring measurements (dendrochronology) from Pinus ponderosa (PSME) trees.

Time Range

150 to -37 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1987-01-01

Geography

Horsetooth Reservoir, Colorado, United States.