Mount Cheam Tree Ring Chronology from 358 BC to 49 AD

Tree ring width measurements from subalpine fir trees on Mount Cheam in British Columbia provide a 407-year climate proxy record. The chronology covers the period from 358 BC to 49 AD, calibrated in calendar years before present. Data is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its Paleoclimatology program.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies by analyzing the annual tree_ring_width series.
• Calibrate radiocarbon dating or other chronological models using the precisely dated annual growth layers.
• Study the frequency of climatic extreme events, such as droughts, evidenced by sequences of narrow rings in the chronology.
• Compare this Pacific Northwest tree-ring series with other global paleoclimate proxies to assess regional climate teleconnections.

Strengths

• Chronology spans 407 calendar years, providing a multi-century climate record.
• Data is sourced from the authoritative NOAA/NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
• Time period is precisely defined from 358 to -49 calendar years BP.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally stale, with a last update recorded in 1999.
• Sample size and replication depth (number of tree cores) are unknown, affecting statistical confidence.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single mountain site in British Columbia.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) of subalpine fir (ABLA) trees.

Time Range

358 to -49 calendar years before present (BP), approximately 358 BC to 49 AD.

Freshness

1999-01-01

Geography

Mount Cheam, British Columbia, Canada.