Alaskan Tree Ring Chronology from Monahan Flats

Tree ring width data from the Monahan Flats site in Alaska provides a 301-year chronology from 253 to -48 calendar years before present. This paleoclimate dataset is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service. The study was published in 1998.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies in Alaska by analyzing annual tree ring width variations.
• Calibrate climate proxy models for the Arctic region using this site-specific chronology.
• Study ecological responses to past climatic events, such as volcanic eruptions, evident in the ring width record.
• Compare this local chronology with other regional tree ring datasets to identify broader climate patterns.

Strengths

• Data covers a 301-year time span, offering a multi-century climate record.
• Sourced from NOAA NCEI's authoritative World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at -48 BP, limiting analysis of the most recent centuries.
• Data is from a single geographic site (Monahan Flats, Alaska), reducing regional generalizability.
• The dataset was last updated in 1998, indicating potential staleness in metadata or availability.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology).

Time Range

253 to -48 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Monahan Flats, Alaska, United States.