Fort Wingate Pinyon Pine Tree Ring Chronology from 472 BC

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree-ring chronology from pinyon pine trees near Fort Wingate, New Mexico. The dataset provides annual growth measurements spanning from 472 BC to AD 22, calibrated in calendar years before present. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) manages this archived study, which was last updated in 1972.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past drought severity and precipitation patterns by analyzing annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate radiocarbon dates for archaeological sites in the region using the precisely dated tree-ring chronology.
• Study the response of pinyon pine ecosystems to climatic events like volcanic eruptions or prolonged dry periods visible in the growth record.
• Validate regional climate model simulations of past centuries by comparing them to the proxy climate record from tree rings.

Strengths

• Provides a precisely dated, continuous annual climate proxy record spanning approximately 494 years.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
• Offers a geographically specific record for a semi-arid region in New Mexico, United States.

Limitations

• The dataset's last update was in 1972, indicating it is a static archive with no recent additions or methodological revisions.
• The sample size (number of tree cores or series) is unknown, which limits assessment of statistical robustness.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site (Fort Wingate), which may not represent broader regional climate patterns.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) samples.

Time Range

472 BC to AD 22 (calendar years before present).

Freshness

Static archive last updated in 1972.

Geography

Fort Wingate, New Mexico, United States of America.