Tree ring width measurements from two sites in Switzerland, covering a 196-year period from 172 to -24 calendar years before present. The dataset was archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its Paleoclimatology program. The original study data was last updated in 1974.
Use Cases
- Calibrate climate models by comparing tree ring width chronologies from the Riederalp and Aletschwald sites with instrumental climate records.
- Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies for Western Europe using the annual resolution tree ring data.
- Analyze growth trends and potential disturbances within the 196-year chronology to study forest dynamics.
Strengths
- Provides a 196-year annually resolved chronology for climate reconstruction.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- The dataset is temporally stale, with a last update date of 1974, potentially missing modern methodological refinements.
- Limited geographic scope to two specific sites in Switzerland, reducing broad regional applicability.
- Unknown sample size (number of tree cores) and replication, which affects statistical confidence in the chronology.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) from the Riederalp and Aletschwald sites.
- Time Range
- 172 to -24 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Switzerland, Western Europe.