NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology archives this tree ring dataset from a site in Switzerland, Western Europe. The chronology spans 153 years, from 124 to -29 calendar years before present. The data were archived by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 1979.
Use Cases
- Calibrating climate models using the tree ring width chronology as a proxy for past temperature or precipitation in Western Europe.
- Analyzing growth anomaly years within the 153-year chronology to identify extreme historical climate events.
- Cross-dating this Swiss chronology (ITRDB SWIT137) with other regional tree ring series to build a longer, more robust climate record.
- Studying the response of Pinus sylvestris (PISY) growth to environmental stressors during the covered time period.
Strengths
- Data spans a continuous 153-year chronology from 124 to -29 BP.
- Part of the authoritative International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) curated by NOAA NCEI.
- Provides a geographically specific climate proxy for Switzerland, Western Europe.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is relatively short (153 years) compared to millennial-length tree ring chronologies.
- Data is geographically limited to a single site (Eponde VS), which may not represent broader regional climate.
- The dataset was last updated in 1979, and methodologies for data collection or standardization may be outdated.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring measurements collected and standardized via dendrochronological methods.
- Time Range
- 124 to -29 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Switzerland, Western Europe.