Chir pine ring-width thermometry in western Himalaya, India

Abstract

We have developed the first annually resolved ring-width chronology (AD 1880–2002) of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) from Balcha in Tons valley, western Himalaya. The existence of significant positive relationship between ring-width indices and June–August mean temperature obtained in cross-correlation analysis endorsed the dendroclimatic potential of chir pine chronologies. Using such strong relationship, statistically verifiable first chir pine chronology-based June–August temperature (AD 1880–2001) was reconstructed for the western Himalaya. The calibration model capturing 16% of the variance in instrumental data (AD 1901–1998) showed that the network of such chronologies should help in developing robust temperature records for the western Himalaya.