Data from -14 to -28 calendar years BP (before present) provides microparticle measurements from snow pits in the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru. The dataset is archived by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. This study was published in 1978.
Use Cases
- Analyze temporal trends in atmospheric dust concentration using microparticle counts from the snow pit layers.
- Correlate microparticle data with other ice core proxies to reconstruct past climate conditions in the Andes.
- Calibrate climate models by comparing historical aerosol deposition rates from the Quelccaya record.
- Study the source and transport of particulates in the pre-industrial South American atmosphere using particle size or composition features.
Strengths
- Covers a specific 14-year period in the past, providing a focused temporal snapshot.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Originates from the Quelccaya Ice Cap, a key site for tropical paleoclimate research.
Limitations
- Very small temporal coverage of only 14 years, limiting analysis of long-term trends.
- Dataset is from 1978, so methodologies and metadata standards may be outdated.
- Unknown sample size (row count) and specific measured parameters beyond microparticles.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Ice core/snow pit sampling and laboratory analysis of microparticles.
- Time Range
- -14 to -28 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru.