Stewart Island Tree Ring Width Chronology for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

Tree ring width measurements from Stewart Island, New Zealand, provide a 235-year chronology from 192 to -43 calendar years before present. The dataset is archived by NOAA's World Data Service for Paleoclimatology as part of the PAGES Australasia 2k initiative. It was last updated in the NOAA system in 1993.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies by calibrating tree-ring width time-series against modern instrumental records.
• Identify volcanic or other forcing events in the Australasian climate record by detecting synchronous narrow rings in the width chronology.
• Validate climate model simulations of the past 235 years for the Southern Hemisphere using the proxy tree-ring width data.
• Analyze growth trends and responses to environmental stressors specific to the tree species and location recorded in the ring width series.

Strengths

• 235-year continuous chronology from 192 to -43 BP provides a multi-century climate proxy.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• The dataset's last recorded update was in 1993, indicating it may not reflect the most recent methodological standards.
• Specific sample depth, replication statistics, and measurement precision are unknown from the provided description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) measuring ring width parameters.

Time Range

192 to -43 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1993-01-01

Geography

Stewart Island, New Zealand.