Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data
We describe the analysis of existing and new maximum-latewood-density (MXD) and tree-ring width (TRW) data from the Torneträsk region of northern Sweden and the construction of 1500 year chronologies. Some previous work found that MXD and TRW chronologies from Torneträsk were inconsistent over the m...
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crsagepubl:10.1177/0959683612460791 2024-05-19T07:46:08+00:00 Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data Melvin, Thomas M Grudd, Håkan Briffa, Keith R 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683612460791 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0959683612460791 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0959683612460791 en eng SAGE Publications http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license The Holocene volume 23, issue 3, page 364-373 ISSN 0959-6836 1477-0911 journal-article 2012 crsagepubl https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683612460791 2024-05-02T09:40:34Z We describe the analysis of existing and new maximum-latewood-density (MXD) and tree-ring width (TRW) data from the Torneträsk region of northern Sweden and the construction of 1500 year chronologies. Some previous work found that MXD and TRW chronologies from Torneträsk were inconsistent over the most recent 200 years, even though they both reflect predominantly summer temperature influences on tree growth. We show that this was partly a result of systematic bias in MXD data measurements and partly a result of inhomogeneous sample selection from living trees (modern sample bias). We use refinements of the simple Regional Curve Standardisation (RCS) method of chronology construction to identify and mitigate these biases. The new MXD and TRW chronologies now present a largely consistent picture of long-timescale changes in past summer temperature in this region over their full length, indicating similar levels of summer warmth in the medieval period (MWP, c. ce 900–1100) and the latter half of the 20th century. Future work involving the updating of MXD chronologies using differently sourced measurements may require similar analysis and appropriate adjustment to that described here to make the data suitable for the production of un-biased RCS chronologies. The use of ‘growth-rate’ based multiple RCS curves is recommended to identify and mitigate the problem of ‘modern sample bias’. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden SAGE Publications The Holocene 23 3 364 373 |
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Open Polar |
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SAGE Publications |
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crsagepubl |
language |
English |
description |
We describe the analysis of existing and new maximum-latewood-density (MXD) and tree-ring width (TRW) data from the Torneträsk region of northern Sweden and the construction of 1500 year chronologies. Some previous work found that MXD and TRW chronologies from Torneträsk were inconsistent over the most recent 200 years, even though they both reflect predominantly summer temperature influences on tree growth. We show that this was partly a result of systematic bias in MXD data measurements and partly a result of inhomogeneous sample selection from living trees (modern sample bias). We use refinements of the simple Regional Curve Standardisation (RCS) method of chronology construction to identify and mitigate these biases. The new MXD and TRW chronologies now present a largely consistent picture of long-timescale changes in past summer temperature in this region over their full length, indicating similar levels of summer warmth in the medieval period (MWP, c. ce 900–1100) and the latter half of the 20th century. Future work involving the updating of MXD chronologies using differently sourced measurements may require similar analysis and appropriate adjustment to that described here to make the data suitable for the production of un-biased RCS chronologies. The use of ‘growth-rate’ based multiple RCS curves is recommended to identify and mitigate the problem of ‘modern sample bias’. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Melvin, Thomas M Grudd, Håkan Briffa, Keith R |
spellingShingle |
Melvin, Thomas M Grudd, Håkan Briffa, Keith R Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
author_facet |
Melvin, Thomas M Grudd, Håkan Briffa, Keith R |
author_sort |
Melvin, Thomas M |
title |
Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
title_short |
Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
title_full |
Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
title_fullStr |
Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: Re-processing 1500 years of Torneträsk density and ring-width data |
title_sort |
potential bias in ‘updating’ tree-ring chronologies using regional curve standardisation: re-processing 1500 years of torneträsk density and ring-width data |
publisher |
SAGE Publications |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683612460791 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0959683612460791 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0959683612460791 |
genre |
Northern Sweden |
genre_facet |
Northern Sweden |
op_source |
The Holocene volume 23, issue 3, page 364-373 ISSN 0959-6836 1477-0911 |
op_rights |
http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683612460791 |
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The Holocene |
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23 |
container_issue |
3 |
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364 |
op_container_end_page |
373 |
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1799486267600142336 |