McKenna Park Ponderosa Pine Tree Ring Chronology from 260 BP

Tree ring width measurements from Ponderosa pine (PIPO) trees at McKenna Park, New Mexico, used for climate reconstruction. The chronology covers 289 years, from 260 to -29 calendar years before present. Data is archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information under its World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past precipitation or drought indices using annual tree ring width as a proxy.
• Calibrate climate models by comparing the tree ring chronology with instrumental records.
• Analyze growth anomalies in the ring width series to identify volcanic or climatic events.
• Study the response of Ponderosa pine ecosystems to long-term climate trends in New Mexico.

Strengths

• Chronology spans 289 years, providing a multi-century climate record.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.

Limitations

• The dataset's last update was in 1979, indicating potential staleness in metadata or methods.
• Sample size and replication level of individual tree cores are unknown.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in McKenna Park, New Mexico.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Dendrochronology; core samples from Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees.

Time Range

260 to -29 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

null

Geography

McKenna Park, New Mexico, United States of America.