Stone State Park Tree Ring Chronology from 154 to 41 BC

Tree ring width measurements from Stone State Park, Iowa, USA, provide a 195-year chronology from 154 to 41 BC. The dataset is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. This specific study was last updated in the NCEI system in 1991.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct annual precipitation or temperature anomalies for the Midwestern US using the tree ring width time-series.
• Calibrate the chronology against other regional proxies using the calendar years before present (BP) time index.
• Analyze growth patterns and climate stress events within the 195-year sequence from the Iowa location.
• Validate climate model simulations of the late Holocene period for North America using this dated proxy record.

Strengths

• 195-year continuous chronology from 154 to 41 BC provides a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
• Specific geographic location (Iowa, USA) allows for localized climate reconstruction.

Limitations

• The dataset's last known update was in 1991, indicating potential staleness and lack of recent revision.
• The raw sample size, replication, and measurement statistics for the tree ring series are unknown.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in Iowa, which may not represent broader regional climate.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology), likely measuring ring widths from core samples.

Time Range

154 to -41 calendar years before present (BP), equivalent to 154 BC to 41 BC.

Freshness

1991-01-01

Geography

Stone State Park, Iowa, United States of America.