Tree-ring width measurements from Mount Cain in British Columbia, Canada, provide a paleoclimate record. The time series covers 787 years, from 750 to -37 calendar years before present. Data is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Use Cases
- Calibrate climate models by comparing reconstructed temperature or precipitation from the tree-ring width series with instrumental records.
- Analyze the frequency and magnitude of past drought events in British Columbia using the annual-resolution width chronology.
- Study ecological responses to volcanic eruptions or other forcings by examining growth anomalies in the ring-width time series.
- Develop regional climate reconstructions for North America by integrating this chronology with other PAGES 2k Network proxy records.
Strengths
- 787-year continuous annual-resolution chronology from 750 to -37 BP
- Part of the standardized PAGES North America 2K Version dataset collection for continental-scale analysis
Limitations
- Single geographic site limits spatial representativeness for regional climate patterns
- Data record ends at -37 BP (1987 CE), lacking recent decades for contemporary climate comparison
- Potential dating uncertainties inherent in calendar years before present (BP) scale
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology
- Collection Method
- Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology)
- Time Range
- 750 to -37 calendar years before present (BP)
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Mount Cain, British Columbia, Canada