Iowa Tree Ring Chronology from Backbone State Park

Tree ring data from Backbone State Park, Iowa, covers a 203-year period from 176 to -27 calendar years before present. The dataset is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its Paleoclimatology World Data Service. The record was last updated in 1977.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing past climate variables like temperature or precipitation from tree ring width measurements.
• Analyzing long-term growth trends and responses to environmental stressors for pine species in Iowa.
• Calibrating and validating climate models using a precisely dated, multi-century proxy record.
• Studying the frequency and severity of historical drought events in the region via tree ring anomalies.

Strengths

• 203-year continuous chronology from 176 to -27 BP provides a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA NCEI Paleoclimatology program.

Limitations

• The dataset's last update was in 1977, indicating it is a static historical archive with no recent additions.
• Specific sample depth, measurement statistics, and column details are unknown from the provided metadata.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) from pine species.

Time Range

176 to -27 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Backbone State Park, Iowa, United States of America.