Yakutat Tree Ring Chronology From 201 to -46 BP

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree-ring width chronology from the Yakutat Gravel Pit Outer Moraine in Alaska. The dataset provides proxy climate data covering 247 years, from 201 to -46 calendar years before present. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) published this study, with a last update recorded in 1996.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies from tree-ring width (TSHE) measurements.
• Calibrate climate proxy models using the 247-year chronology spanning 201 to -46 BP.
• Analyze growth response and climate sensitivity of Tsuga heterophylla (TSHE) trees in coastal Alaska.
• Correlate this site-specific chronology with other regional tree-ring datasets to identify broad climate signals.
• Study environmental changes following glacial retreat using the moraine's geospatial context and tree establishment dates.

Strengths

• Covers a continuous 247-year time period from 201 to -46 calendar years BP.
• Provides a site-specific, high-resolution proxy climate record from a defined geomorphic feature (outer moraine).
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Dataset is temporally stale, with a last update date of 1996.
• Sample size and replication depth (number of tree cores) are unknown, limiting statistical confidence.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in coastal Alaska, reducing regional representativeness.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) of Tsuga heterophylla (TSHE) samples from a gravel pit moraine.

Time Range

201 to -46 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Yakutat Gravel Pit Outer Moraine, Alaska, United States of America.