Qilan Mountains Tree Ring Chronology From 536 BC

NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology archives a tree ring chronology from the Qilan Mountains in Qinghai, China. The dataset provides a time series of tree ring parameters covering 571 years, from 536 to 35 BC. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) compiled and last updated this record in 1985.

Use Cases

• Calibrating climate models by analyzing annual tree ring width variations as a proxy for past temperature or precipitation.
• Investigating extreme climate events, such as volcanic winters or droughts, by identifying narrow or anomalous rings within the 571-year chronology.
• Cross-dating and validating other regional tree ring chronologies using the established time series from the Qilan Mountains site.
• Studying ecological responses to historical climate shifts through the physical parameters recorded in the tree ring samples.

Strengths

• Time series spans 571 calendar years, providing a multi-century climate record.
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Limitations

• Dataset has not been updated since 1985, potentially missing modern analytical refinements.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single site in the Qilan Mountains, Qinghai.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Tree ring analysis (dendrochronology).

Time Range

536 to 35 BC (calendar years before present).

Freshness

Last updated in 1985; static historical archive.

Geography

Qilan Mountains, Qinghai, China.