Central Europe 2500 Year Tree Ring Summer Climate Reconstructions Büntgen, U.; Tegel, W.; Nicolussi, K.; McCormick, M.; Frank, D.C.; Trouet, V.; Kaplan, J.O.; Herzig, F.; Heussner, K.-U.; Wanner, H.; Luterbacher, J.; Esper, J. Büntgen, U. Tegel, W. Nicolussi, K. McCormick, M. Frank, D.C. Trouet, V. Kaplan, J.O. Herzig, F. Heussner, K.-U. Wanner, H. Luterbacher, J. Esper, J. Air Temperature Reconstruction Little Ice Age (LIA) Medieval Warm Period Precipitation Reconstruction drought earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,climate reconstructions|tree ring,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (precipitation,ring width,null,millimeter,Jun-Sep,climate reconstructions|tree ring,null,composite plus scale,N,calibration data set: CRU TS 2.4) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (surface temperature,ring width,null,degree Celsius,Jun-Aug,climate reconstructions|tree ring,anomalized,composite plus scale,N,reference period: 1901-2000 A.D.; calibration data set: local instrumental data) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (surface temperature,ring width,one root mean square error lower bound,degree Celsius,Jun-Aug,climate reconstructions|tree ring,anomalized,composite plus scale,N,reference period: 1901-2000 A.D.; calibration data set: local instrumental data) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (precipitation,ring width,one root mean square error lower bound,millimeter,Apr-Jun,climate reconstructions|tree ring,null,composite plus scale,N,calibration data set: CRU TS 2.2) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (precipitation,ring width,one root mean square error upper bound,millimeter,Apr-Jun,climate reconstructions|tree ring,null,composite plus scale,N,calibration data set: CRU TS 2.3) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (surface temperature,ring width,one root mean square error upper bound,degree Celsius,Jun-Aug,climate reconstructions|tree ring,anomalized,composite plus scale,N,reference period: 1901-2000 A.D.; calibration data set: local instrumental data) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (precipitation,ring width,null,millimeter,Apr-Jun,climate reconstructions|tree ring,null,composite plus scale,N,calibration data set: CRU TS 2.1) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|tree ring (surface temperature,ring density,null,degree Celsius,Jun-Sep,climate reconstructions|tree ring,anomalized,composite plus scale,N,based on latewood density; reference period: 1901-2000 A.D.; calibration data set: local instrumental data) earth science/paleoclimate/reconstructions earth science/paleoclimate/reconstructions (Central Europe>LATITUDE 49>LONGITUDE 13) Climate variations influenced the agricultural productivity, health risk, and conflict level of preindustrial societies. Discrimination between environmental and anthropogenic impacts on past civilizations, however, remains difficult because of the paucity of high-resolution paleoclimatic evidence. We present tree ring–based reconstructions of central European summer precipitation and temperature variability over the past 2500 years. Recent warming is unprecedented, but modern hydroclimatic variations may have at times been exceeded in magnitude and duration. Wet and warm summers occurred during periods of Roman and medieval prosperity. Increased climate variability from ~250 to 600 C.E. coincided with the demise of the western Roman Empire and the turmoil of the Migration Period. Such historical data may provide a basis for counteracting the recent political and fiscal reluctance to mitigate projected climate change. STUDY NOTES: Tree ring-based reconstructions of central European summer precipitation and temperature over the past 2500 years. Precipitation is reconstructed for April-May-June, and temperature anomalies for June-July-August. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Büntgen, U. Investigator : Tegel, W. Investigator : Nicolussi, K. Investigator : McCormick, M. Investigator : Frank, D.C. Investigator : Trouet, V. Investigator : Kaplan, J.O. Investigator : Herzig, F. Investigator : Heussner, K.-U. Investigator : Wanner, H. Investigator : Luterbacher, J. Investigator : Esper, J. 2011-02-28 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/10394 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/10394 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/europe/buentgen2011europe.txt Büntgen, U., W. Tegel, K. Nicolussi, M. McCormick, D. Frank, V. Trouet, J.O. Kaplan, F. Herzig, K.-U. Heussner, H. Wanner, J. Luterbacher, and J. Esper. 2011. 2500 Years of European Climate Variability and Human Susceptibility. Science, Vol. 331, pp. 578-583, 4 February 2011. DOI: 10.1126/science.1197175 START YEAR: -500 AD * END YEAR: 2008 AD 6 45 20 53