Tree ring width measurements from Douglas-fir trees at Guadalupe Peak, Texas, provide a 371-year climate proxy record ending 42 years before the common era. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information archives this paleoclimatology study for the World Data Service. Data was last updated in the repository in 1992.
Use Cases
- Reconstruct annual precipitation or drought indices for West Texas using the tree ring width time-series.
- Calibrate the tree ring chronology against other regional proxies using the 371-year temporal coverage from 413 to 42 BCE.
- Analyze growth patterns in Douglas-fir (PSME) to infer past temperature stress events at the Guadalupe Peak geographic location.
Strengths
- Covers a continuous 371-year period (413 to 42 BCE) for long-term climate analysis.
- Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
- Provides a climate proxy record for a specific tree species (Pseudotsuga menziesii) at a defined geographic site.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage ends over 2000 years ago (42 BCE), limiting analysis of recent climate change.
- The single-site geographic location (Guadalupe Peak, Texas) limits broad regional conclusions.
- Data was last updated in the repository in 1992, indicating potential staleness in metadata or documentation.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree ring cores collected and measured using dendrochronological techniques.
- Time Range
- 413 to 42 calendar years before present (BP), which is 413 to 42 BCE.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Guadalupe Peak, Texas, United States Of America.