Jämtland tree-ring chronology, Sweden, sample depth and RCS index data

Björn E. Gunnarson

Sample depth and regional curve standardization (RCS) index data based on tree-ring width (TRW) measurements in a tree-ring chronology from Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.). Logs, preserved for thousands of years in bog and lakes (subfossil wood), were sampled from small lakes of the Scandinavian Mountains in Jämtland in west-central Sweden to construct a tree-ring chronology from an area where pines are sensitive to growth season (summer) temperature. The chronology spans from 4868 BC to AD 2006, with two minor gaps around 1600 BC and AD 900 and one larger gap around 2900 BC. Submerged trunks were found in situ, embedded in sediments, and because trees from the earliest periods were not necessarily found at the deepest levels, this shows that lake levels must have been lower than present at the time of tree-growth.

References

Gunnarson, B. 2008: Temporal distribution pattern of subfossil pines in central Sweden: perspective on Holocene humidity fluctuations. The Holocene, 18, 4, 569-577. DOI:10.1177/0959683608089211

Data description

The data file (xls) contains one tab with three columns: Year; Mean RCS; Sample depth. See Gunnarson (2008) for details.