NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree ring chronology from giant sequoia trees in California's Sequoia National Park. The data provides annual growth measurements covering a period from 70 to -40 calendar years before present. This dataset was published by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information and was last updated in 1990.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using the tree ring width series as a proxy.
- Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree ring chronology with instrumental records for validation.
- Analyze growth response and resilience of giant sequoias to historical climate events recorded in the ring data.
- Establish a dated chronology for archaeological or geological studies in the Sierra Nevada region.
Strengths
- Data spans 110 years of annual resolution from 70 to -40 BP.
- Sourced from a long-lived species (giant sequoia) known for climate sensitivity.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is relatively short for paleoclimate studies at only 110 years.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single site in Sequoia National Park.
- Data is stale, with no updates since its 1990 publication.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) of giant sequoia samples.
- Time Range
- 70 to -40 calendar years before present.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Colony Mill site, Sequoia National Park, California, United States.