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July–August temperature at Edinburgh between 1721 and 1975 from tree-ring density and width data

Abstract

The use of wood density measurements in dendroclimatology is a relatively recent development1. There have been few attempts to use these data in climate reconstruction or to test the result rigorously. We now report on the reconstruction of July–August surface air temperature for Edinburgh, Scotland, for the period AD 1721–1975 using maximum latewood density and ring-width data from pine trees in the Scottish Highlands. In a series of tests, it is shown that the relationship between the climate and tree-ring variables is statistically significant and stable with time, confirming the power of dendroclimatic reconstruction even in a moist region such as the British Isles.

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Hughes, M., Schweingruber, F., Cartwright, D. et al. July–August temperature at Edinburgh between 1721 and 1975 from tree-ring density and width data. Nature 308, 341–344 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308341a0

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