Indian Creek Ponderosa Pine Tree-Ring Chronology from Colorado

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree-ring dataset from the Indian Creek site in Colorado, USA. The chronology covers 124 years, from 91 to -33 calendar years before present. This study was published by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 1983.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past temperature or precipitation anomalies using annual tree-ring width measurements.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree-ring chronology with instrumental records for the Colorado region.
• Analyze growth patterns to identify extreme climatic events like droughts within the 124-year time span.
• Study the response of Ponderosa Pine (PIPO) to historical climate conditions at the Indian Creek site.

Strengths

• Data is archived and maintained by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
• Provides a 124-year annually resolved chronology (91 to -33 BP) for climate analysis.
• Geographic location (Colorado, USA) and tree species (Ponderosa Pine) are clearly specified.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally stale, with a last updated date of 1983, potentially lacking modern methodological refinements.
• The specific parameters (e.g., raw measurement values, standardization method) are not detailed in the provided description.
• Sample size (number of tree cores) and data format are unknown, limiting immediate assessment of statistical robustness.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

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

Freshness

1983-01-01

Geography

Indian Creek, Colorado, United States Of America.