Missouri Tree Ring Width Chronology from 750 to 37 BC

750 to 37 BC tree-ring width measurements from the Leatherwood Creek site in Missouri, United States. The dataset is part of the NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archive and the PAGES North America 2K initiative, contributed by the author Stahle. It was archived by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 1987.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past climate variables like precipitation or temperature by analyzing the tree-ring width time-series.
• Calibrate and validate climate model simulations for North America using the precisely dated 713-year chronology.
• Study regional extreme climate events, such as droughts, by identifying narrow ring sequences in the width data.
• Compare this Missouri site chronology with other PAGES 2K network records to analyze spatial climate patterns.

Strengths

• Covers a 713-year period from 750 to 37 BC, providing a long-term baseline.
• Part of the standardized PAGES North America 2K network, ensuring methodological consistency for continental-scale analysis.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, last updated in 1987 and may not reflect modern reanalysis techniques.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single site in Missouri, limiting broad spatial inferences.
• The raw data format and specific measurement parameters are not detailed in the provided description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) measuring ring width.

Time Range

750 to -37 calendar years BP (Before Present, where present=1950), approximately 1200 BC to 1987 AD.

Freshness

1987-01-01

Geography

Leatherwood Creek, Missouri, United States of America.