Katherine Creek Tree Ring Chronology for Climate Reconstruction

250 tree-ring width measurements from trees over 200 years old, collected at Katherine Creek in Canada's Northwest Territories. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information archives this paleoclimatology study for reconstructing past climate conditions. The data coverage spans from 250 to -39 calendar years before present.

Use Cases

• Calibrating climate models by analyzing tree-ring width variations as a proxy for past temperature and precipitation.
• Reconstructing annual climate conditions for the Northwest Territories region over a 289-year period.
• Studying long-term ecological resilience and growth patterns in boreal tree species older than 200 years.
• Comparing this site chronology (ITRDB CANA120) with other regional tree-ring datasets to identify broad climate signals.

Strengths

• Data spans a 289-year period (250 to -39 BP), providing a multi-century climate record.
• Sourced from the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.
• Focuses on trees greater than 200 years old, capturing long-term growth trends.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends at -39 BP, with no updates since the original 1989 publication.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single site (Katherine Creek), reducing regional representativeness.
• Sample size and specific row count are unknown, limiting statistical assessment.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Dendrochronological analysis of tree-ring widths.

Time Range

250 to -39 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

Last updated in 1989.

Geography

Katherine Creek, Northwest Territories, Canada.