Tree ring width measurements from Steens Mountain, Oregon, provide a 981-year chronology for reconstructing past climate conditions. The dataset, archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, covers the period from 933 to 48 calendar years before present. Data collection and publication were managed by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct annual temperature or precipitation anomalies using the tree_ring_width time series.
- Calibrate regional climate models by comparing the chronology with known historical climate events.
- Analyze growth patterns and climate sensitivity of the tree species at the Steens Mountain site.
- Identify periods of environmental stress, such as droughts, from narrow ring sequences in the chronology.
Strengths
- Chronology spans 981 consecutive years from 933 to 48 BC.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- The dataset's last update was in 1998, potentially missing modern analytical techniques or metadata standards.
- Specific sample depth, replication statistics, and measurement uncertainty metrics are not provided in the basic description.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) / World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring core samples analyzed to produce a width measurement chronology.
- Time Range
- 933 to -48 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Steens Mountain, Oregon, United States of America.