Pecan Bayou Tree Ring Chronology from 256 BC

Tree ring width measurements from Pecan Bayou, Texas, provide a 288-year climate proxy record spanning from 256 BC to 32 BC. The dataset was archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology and originates from a study by Stahle. This paleoclimate record was last updated in the NOAA system in 1982.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct annual precipitation or drought indices for Texas from 256 BC using tree ring width as a proxy.
• Calibrate regional climate models by comparing the tree ring chronology against other paleoclimate archives for the same time period.
• Analyze the frequency of extreme climate events in the pre-modern era by identifying narrow or wide ring sequences in the time series.
• Study ecological responses to climate change by correlating the Pecan Bayou tree ring record with known archaeological or historical periods.

Strengths

• 288-year continuous annual resolution time series from 256 BC to 32 BC.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• Sample size and replication statistics for the tree ring chronology are unknown from the provided metadata.
• The dataset has not been updated in the system since 1982, potentially missing modern reanalysis or calibration.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) from samples collected at Pecan Bayou, Texas.

Time Range

256 BC to 32 BC (calendar years before present).

Freshness

Last updated in system: 1982-01-01.

Geography

Pecan Bayou, Texas, United States.