Tree ring width measurements from ponderosa pine (PSME) trees at Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado. The chronology covers 488 years, from 498 to 10 calendar years before present. This archived study is provided by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using annual tree ring width as a proxy.
- Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree ring chronology with instrumental records for the Colorado region.
- Analyze growth patterns and potential climate stressors from the year-by-year ring width series.
- Establish a dated master chronology for cross-dating other tree ring samples from the Southwestern United States.
Strengths
- Chronology spans 488 consecutive years, providing a multi-century climate record.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- Sample size and number of individual tree cores used are unknown, limiting statistical confidence assessment.
- Temporal coverage ends at 10 years BP, lacking overlap with most modern instrumental climate records.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single site (Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado), reducing regional representativeness.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Dendrochronological analysis of ponderosa pine (Pseudotsuga menziesii) tree rings.
- Time Range
- 498 to 10 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado, United States.