Swiss Lindenwald Tree Ring Chronology for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

73 to -29 calendar years before present (BP) of tree ring data from the Lindenwald site in Switzerland, used for paleoclimate studies. This archived dataset is provided by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. The data was last updated in the NOAA system in 1979.

Use Cases

• Calibrating climate models using tree ring width (ABAL) as a proxy for past temperature or precipitation conditions.
• Analyzing long-term ecological stress by examining the 'Ta.gesund' (tree health) parameter over the 102-year chronology.
• Cross-dating regional climate events by comparing the ITRDB SWIT156 series with other Alpine tree ring collections.
• Reconstructing annual climate anomalies for Western Europe from the time-series of tree ring parameters.

Strengths

• Covers a 102-year time period (73 to -29 BP) for climate reconstruction.
• Archived and curated by the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
• Part of the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB), enabling standardized comparison.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is relatively short (102 years) compared to millennial-length tree ring chronologies.
• Data is geographically limited to a single site (Lindenwald, Switzerland), limiting regional generalization.
• The dataset is temporally stale, with its last update recorded in 1979.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring sampling and dendrochronological analysis (Schweingruber).

Time Range

73 to -29 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

Last updated in 1979; static historical archive.

Geography

Lindenwald, Switzerland, Western Europe.