Spanish Tree Ring Chronology from Sant Maurici (139 to -46 BP)

Tree ring data from Sant Maurici, Spain, provides a 185-year annual climate record from 139 to -46 calendar years before present. The dataset is archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology. It was published in 1996 as part of the International Tree-Ring Data Bank.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate regional climate models by comparing the tree-ring chronology with known historical climate events.
• Analyze climate variability and extreme events in Southern Europe during the late Holocene period covered by the series.
• Cross-date archaeological wood samples from the Iberian Peninsula using the established tree-ring chronology.

Strengths

• Covers a continuous 185-year period (139 to -46 BP), providing annual resolution.
• Part of the authoritative International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) and NOAA/NCEI archives.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is relatively short (185 years) compared to many millennial-length tree-ring chronologies.
• Data is from a single geographic location (Sant Maurici, Spain), limiting spatial representativeness.
• The dataset was last updated in 1996, and newer versions or methodological improvements may exist.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology), likely measuring ring widths from sampled trees.

Time Range

139 to -46 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1996-01-01

Geography

Sant Maurici, Spain, Southern Europe.