Oscura Peak Tree Ring Chronology from White Sands Missile Range

Tree ring width data from Oscura Peak at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, provides a 337-year climate record. The chronology covers the period from 306 to -31 calendar years before present (BP), archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. This dataset was last updated in 1981.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past precipitation and drought indices by analyzing annual tree ring width variations.
• Calibrate radiocarbon dating or other chronological models using the established 337-year tree ring sequence.
• Study the growth response of Pinus edulis (pinyon pine) to historical climate events recorded in the ring widths.
• Compare this local chronology with regional tree ring networks to identify broader climate patterns.

Strengths

• Covers a 337-year time period (306 to -31 BP), providing a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is archived and curated by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at -31 BP, with no data for more recent centuries.
• The dataset was last updated in 1981, indicating potential staleness in metadata or availability.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single site (Oscura Peak), limiting regional generalizability.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring cores collected and measured via dendrochronological methods.

Time Range

306 to -31 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

Last updated in 1981.

Geography

Oscura Peak, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, United States of America.