Swiss Tree Ring Chronology for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

Tree ring width measurements from a site in Lindenwald, Switzerland, provide a climate proxy record. The chronology covers 98 years, from 68 to -29 calendar years before present, indicating data from approximately 1929 to 1879 BCE. This dataset is archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology and was published in 1979.

Use Cases

• Calibrate climate models by correlating tree-ring width variations with temperature or precipitation records.
• Reconstruct past summer temperatures for Western Europe using the site's high-elevation tree-ring series.
• Analyze growth anomalies within the 98-year chronology to identify extreme climatic events like droughts or cold periods.
• Compare this Swiss chronology with other ITRDB series to assess regional climate synchronicity.

Strengths

• Chronology spans 98 calendar years, providing a multi-decadal climate record.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA/NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• The dataset is small, containing a single site chronology with an unspecified number of tree samples.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a specific 98-year window, not a continuous long-term record.
• Data is temporally stale, with a last documented update in 1979, potentially lacking modern reanalysis.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Dendrochronological analysis of tree cores, likely from conifers, measuring ring widths.

Time Range

68 to -29 calendar years BP (approximately 1929 to 1879 BCE).

Freshness

Last updated in 1979; static archival record.

Geography

Lindenwald, Switzerland, Western Europe.