British Isles Tree Ring Chronology from 186 to -42 BP

NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology archives this tree ring chronology from the Barons Court site in the British Isles. The dataset covers a 228-year period from 186 to -42 calendar years before present. It was contributed by researcher Pilcher and last updated in 1992.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past climate variables like temperature or precipitation using tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate radiocarbon dating or other chronological models using the dated tree-ring series.
• Analyze growth anomalies in the tree-ring record to identify specific volcanic or climatic events.
• Compare this local chronology (ITRDB BRIT041) with other regional series to assess spatial climate patterns.

Strengths

• Data spans a 228-year period (186 to -42 BP), providing a multi-century environmental record.
• Curated and archived by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, an authoritative source.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at -42 BP (42 BCE), making it less relevant for studying the most recent two millennia.
• Data is from a single site (Barons Court), limiting spatial representativeness for the wider British Isles.
• Last update was in 1992, indicating the metadata and documentation may not reflect modern standards.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring data collection and analysis (dendrochronology).

Time Range

186 to -42 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

United Kingdom, British Isles.