Dorchester Tree Ring Chronology from 588 to 268 Years Before Present

Tree ring width measurements from the Pierce House site in Dorchester, Massachusetts, used for paleoclimate reconstruction. The chronology covers a 321-year period from 588 to 268 calendar years before present. Data is archived and provided by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies by analyzing annual tree ring width variations.
• Calibrate climate models using the precisely dated 321-year proxy record from Massachusetts.
• Study local environmental events by identifying marker years of suppressed growth in the ring width series.
• Compare this North American tree ring chronology with other global proxy records for synoptic climate analysis.

Strengths

• 321-year continuous chronology from 588 to 268 BP provides a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Sample size and replication depth for each year are unknown, which affects statistical confidence.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
• The data covers a period ending 268 years BP, requiring extension for more recent climate studies.

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

588 to 268 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Pierce House, Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States of America.