California Tree Ring Chronology from 475 to 41 BCE

Tree ring width measurements from the Lost Grove site in California provide a 516-year climate proxy record. The data, archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, covers the period from 475 to 41 years before present (BP). This study, authored by Hughes, is part of the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) collection.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using the tree ring width time-series.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the proxy tree ring chronology with instrumental records.
• Analyze the frequency of extreme climatic events, such as droughts, within the 516-year chronology.
• Study the growth response of California trees to long-term climate trends over five centuries.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous 516-year climate proxy record (475 to 41 BP).
• Part of the authoritative International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) collection.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at 41 BP, lacking overlap with the modern instrumental period.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single site (Lost Grove) in California.
• Data last updated in 1991, potentially missing modern methodological refinements.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology), likely measuring ring widths.

Time Range

475 to 41 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Lost Grove site, California, United States of America.