NOAA NCEI archives a paleoclimatology fire history dataset from the Rito de los Frijoles site in New Mexico. The data reconstructs fire events over a 529-year period, from 491 to -38 calendar years before present, using tree-ring analysis. The dataset was published by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 1988.
Use Cases
- Analyze fire event frequency and intervals using the reconstructed fire year data.
- Correlate fire history periods with regional climate proxies from the tree-ring parameters.
- Model historical wildfire return intervals for the specific geographic location of New Mexico.
- Reconstruct past fire severity by examining tree-ring scar data and growth patterns.
Strengths
- Covers a 529-year time period for long-term trend analysis.
- Sourced from the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage ends at -38 BP, lacking modern era data.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single site in New Mexico.
- Data was last updated in 1988, potentially missing newer methodological refinements.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
- Collection Method
- Tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) for fire scar detection and dating.
- Time Range
- 491 to -38 calendar years before present (BP).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Rito de los Frijoles site, New Mexico, United States of America.