Big Elk Meadows Tree Ring Chronology for Climate Reconstruction

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology provides a tree-ring chronology dataset from the Big Elk Meadows site in Colorado, focusing on Ponderosa Pine (PIPO). The data covers a time period from 150 to -33 calendar years before present. This archived study was contributed by Swetnam and is managed by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the chronology data with instrumental records for the Colorado region.
• Analyze growth patterns in Ponderosa Pine (PIPO) to identify periods of drought or favorable conditions.
• Establish a dated timeline for environmental events by cross-referencing this chronology with other proxy records.

Strengths

• Data spans 183 years of reconstructed environmental history (150 to -33 BP).
• Sourced from a specific tree species (PIPO) at a defined geographic site (Big Elk Meadows, Colorado).

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at -33 BP (1983 CE), with no updates since the last recorded publication in 1983.
• The dataset's specific parameters, sample depth, and measurement statistics are not detailed in the provided description.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology) of Ponderosa Pine (PIPO) samples.

Time Range

150 to -33 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

Big Elk Meadows, Colorado, United States of America.