# Southeastern United States 346 Year PDSI Reconstruction #----------------------------------------------------------------------- # World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, Boulder # and # NOAA Paleoclimatology Program #----------------------------------------------------------------------- # Template Version 4.0 # Encoding: UTF-8 # NOTE: Please cite original publication, NOAA Landing Page URL, dataset and publication DOIs (where available), # and date accessed when using these downloaded data. If there is no publication information, please cite investigator, study title, NOAA Landing Page URL, and date accessed. # # NOAA_Landing_Page: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/study/12913 # Landing_Page_Description: NOAA Landing Page of this file's parent study, which includes all study metadata. # # Study_Level_JSON_Metadata: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/metadata/published/paleo/json/noaa-recon-12913.json # Study_Level_JSON_Description: JSON metadata of this file's parent study, which includes all study metadata. # # Data_Type: Climate Reconstructions # # Dataset_DOI: 10.25921/9fae-6003 # # Science_Keywords: Palmer Drought Index Reconstruction #------------------- # Resource_Links # # Data_Download_Resource: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/northamerica/usa/seusa2012pdsi-noaa.txt # Data_Download_Description: NOAA Template File; Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) 2012 Palmer Drought Index Reconstruction (PDSI) Data # #------------------- # Contribution_Date # Date: 2012-05-17 #------------------- # File_Last_Modified_Date # Date: 2025-06-16 #------------------- # Title # Study_Name: Southeastern United States 346 Year PDSI Reconstruction #------------------- # Investigators # Investigators: Pederson, N. (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3830-263X); Bell, A.R. (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-312X); Knight, T.A.; Leland, C.; Malcomb, N.; Anchukaitis, K.J.(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-8080); Tackett, K.; Scheff, J.; Brice, A.; Catron, B.; Blozan, W.; Riddle, J. #------------------- # Description_Notes_and_Keywords # Description: Tree ring reconstruction of southeastern US drought (Palmer Drought Severity Index, PDSI) for the headwaters of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river basin over the last 346 years. Instrumental PDSI data from NOAA's north-central Georgia climate division are used from 2002-2010 to complete the tree-ring based reconstruction up to 2010. Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) headwaters region, SE USA: ~32-35°N, ~83-86°W #------------------- # Publication # Authors: Pederson, N., A.R. Bell, T.A. Knight, C. Leland, N. Malcomb, K.J. Anchukaitis, K. Tackett, J. Scheff, A. Brice, B. Catron, W. Blozan, and J. Riddle # Journal_Name: Environmental Research Letters # Published_Title: A long-term perspective on a modern drought in the American Southeast # Published_Date_or_Year: 2012 # Volume: 7 # Pages: # Issue: 1 # Report_Number: 014034 # DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014034 # Full_Citation: Pederson, N., A.R. Bell, T.A. Knight, C. Leland, N. Malcomb, K.J. Anchukaitis, K. Tackett, J. Scheff, A. Brice, B. Catron, W. Blozan, and J. Riddle. 2012. A long-term perspective on a modern drought in the American Southeast. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 7, No. 1, 014034, January-March 2012. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014034 # Abstract: The depth of the 2006-9 drought in the humid, southeastern US left several metropolitan areas with only a 60-120 day water supply. To put the region's recent drought variability in a long-term perspective, a dense and diverse tree-ring network-including the first records throughout the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin - is used to reconstruct drought from 1665 to 2010 CE. The network accounts for up to 58.1% of the annual variance in warm-season drought during the 20th century and captures wet eras during the middle to late 20th century. The reconstruction shows that the recent droughts are not unprecedented over the last 346 years. Indeed, droughts of extended duration occurred more frequently between 1696 and 1820. Our results indicate that the era in which local and state water supply decisions were developed and the period of instrumental data upon which it is based are amongst the wettest since at least 1665. Given continued growth and subsequent industrial, agricultural and metropolitan demand throughout the southeast, insights from paleohydroclimate records suggest that the threat of water-related conflict in the region has potential to grow more intense in the decades to come. #------------------- # Funding_Agency # Funding_Agency_Name: Eastern Kentucky University # Grant_Number: #------------------- # Funding_Agency # Funding_Agency_Name: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory # Grant_Number: #------------------- # Site_Information # Site_Name: Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint headwaters # Location: United States of America # Northernmost_Latitude: 35 # Southernmost_Latitude: 32 # Easternmost_Longitude: -83 # Westernmost_Longitude: -86 # Elevation_m: #------------------- # Data_Collection # Collection_Name: ACF-2012PDSI_Seusa2012 # First_Year: 1634 # Last_Year: 2010 # Time_Unit: CE # Core_Length_m: # Parameter_Keywords: reconstructions # Notes: Instrumental PDSI data from NOAA's north-central Georgia climate division are used from 2002-2010 to complete the tree-ring based reconstruction up to 2010. #------------------- # Chronology_Information # Chronology: #------------------- # Variables # # PaST_Thesaurus_Download_Resource: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/skos/past-thesaurus.rdf # PaST_Thesaurus_Download_Description: Paleoenvironmental Standard Terms (PaST) Thesaurus terms, definitions, and relationships in SKOS format. # # variables format: shortname what,material,error,units,seasonality,data_type,detail,method, C(har) or N(umeric) data,additional information # ## YEAR age,,,year Common Era,,climate reconstructions;tree ring,,,N, ## PDSI Palmer Drought Severity Index,,,dimensionless,Apr-Aug,climate reconstructions;tree ring,,,N, ## 20-yrSpline Palmer Drought Severity Index,,,dimensionless,Apr-Aug,climate reconstructions;tree ring,smoothed,,N,20-year spline ## CRNS number of samples,,,count,,climate reconstructions;tree ring,,,N,number of chronologies ## r-square Palmer Drought Severity Index,,validation coefficient of determination,dimensionless,Apr-Aug,climate reconstructions;tree ring,,,N, #------------------------------- # DATA: # Missing_Values: NA YEAR PDSI 20-yrSpline CRNS r-square 1634 -2.364 -0.477 4 36.1 1635 1.453 -0.567 4 36.1 1636 -1.336 -0.661 4 36.1 1637 -0.102 -0.754 4 36.1 1638 -2.412 -0.845 4 36.1 1639 0.889 -0.93 4 36.1 1640 0.729 -1.012 4 36.1 1641 -2.177 -1.081 4 36.1 1642 -0.106 -1.116 4 36.1 1643 -4.303 -1.097 4 36.1 1644 -3.848 -1.006 4 36.1 1645 -2.497 -0.849 4 36.1 1646 2.278 -0.656 4 36.1 1647 0.304 -0.469 4 36.1 1648 -1.058 -0.313 4 36.1 1649 1.664 -0.203 4 36.1 1650 0.525 -0.156 4 36.1 1651 2.245 -0.177 4 36.1 1652 -0.604 -0.257 4 36.1 1653 0.374 -0.375 4 36.1 1654 -3.419 -0.503 4 36.1 1655 1.296 -0.615 4 36.1 1656 -2.942 -0.701 4 36.1 1657 -1.57 -0.746 4 36.1 1658 -1.204 -0.746 4 36.1 1659 -1.619 -0.71 4 36.1 1660 0.029 -0.649 4 36.1 1661 1.354 -0.584 4 36.1 1662 0.149 -0.526 4 36.1 1663 -0.81 -0.473 4 36.1 1664 -1.588 -0.416 4 36.1 1665 -0.039 -0.349 5 39.9 1666 -0.056 -0.273 5 39.9 1667 0.243 -0.189 5 39.9 1668 -1.088 -0.096 5 39.9 1669 0.058 0.01 5 39.9 1670 0.804 0.126 5 39.9 1671 -0.687 0.25 5 39.9 1672 -0.772 0.381 5 39.9 1673 0.738 0.514 5 39.9 1674 2.999 0.633 5 39.9 1675 1.732 0.725 5 39.9 1676 -1.663 0.798 5 39.9 1677 0.939 0.862 5 39.9 1678 0.396 0.916 5 39.9 1679 2.486 0.952 5 39.9 1680 1.789 0.964 5 39.9 1681 0.307 0.954 5 39.9 1682 1.149 0.933 5 39.9 1683 1.78 0.907 5 39.9 1684 -0.633 0.887 5 39.9 1685 -0.422 0.883 5 39.9 1686 0.979 0.9 5 39.9 1687 -0.548 0.927 5 39.9 1688 1.278 0.953 5 39.9 1689 1.751 0.955 5 39.9 1690 1.65 0.913 5 39.9 1691 1.886 0.813 5 39.9 1692 1.717 0.65 5 39.9 1693 1.672 0.427 5 39.9 1694 -0.077 0.159 5 39.9 1695 0.38 -0.129 7 44.7 1696 -1.825 -0.413 7 44.7 1697 -1.555 -0.666 7 44.7 1698 -0.154 -0.873 7 44.7 1699 -2.604 -1.022 7 44.7 1700 -1.771 -1.106 7 44.7 1701 -1.655 -1.123 7 44.7 1702 -0.814 -1.082 7 44.7 1703 -0.393 -0.994 7 44.7 1704 -2.102 -0.87 7 44.7 1705 -0.162 -0.718 7 44.7 1706 -0.893 -0.551 7 44.7 1707 0.616 -0.382 7 44.7 1708 -2.005 -0.225 8 44 1709 -0.652 -0.088 8 44 1710 1.136 0.009 8 44 1711 2.607 0.039 8 44 1712 1.534 -0.011 8 44 1713 1.562 -0.135 8 44 1714 -0.528 -0.31 8 44 1715 -3.942 -0.499 8 44 1716 -1.452 -0.669 8 44 1717 0.146 -0.813 8 44 1718 -3.461 -0.93 8 44 1719 0.411 -1.021 8 44 1720 -1.865 -1.099 10 46.2 1721 1.143 -1.171 10 46.2 1722 -1.467 -1.245 10 46.2 1723 -0.184 -1.316 10 46.2 1724 -1.162 -1.372 10 46.2 1725 -2.263 -1.397 10 46.2 1726 -2.162 -1.371 10 46.2 1727 -3.545 -1.281 10 46.2 1728 -2.485 -1.125 10 46.2 1729 -0.123 -0.918 10 46.2 1730 -0.518 -0.688 10 46.2 1731 0.417 -0.458 10 46.2 1732 -1.11 -0.248 10 46.2 1733 2.601 -0.073 10 46.2 1734 1.594 0.052 10 46.2 1735 -0.877 0.13 10 46.2 1736 0.545 0.176 10 46.2 1737 0.317 0.205 10 46.2 1738 -2.424 0.228 10 46.2 1739 -0.229 0.258 10 46.2 1740 1.108 0.286 12 46.9 1741 -0.54 0.3 12 46.9 1742 3.114 0.288 12 46.9 1743 0.277 0.242 12 46.9 1744 -0.543 0.168 12 46.9 1745 1.814 0.078 12 46.9 1746 -2.169 -0.02 12 46.9 1747 -0.783 -0.108 12 46.9 1748 -0.862 -0.184 12 46.9 1749 -0.252 -0.254 12 46.9 1750 -0.363 -0.327 12 46.9 1751 1.225 -0.416 12 46.9 1752 -0.805 -0.53 12 46.9 1753 1.13 -0.669 12 46.9 1754 -1.118 -0.828 12 46.9 1755 0.261 -0.993 12 46.9 1756 -2.529 -1.144 12 46.9 1757 -1.878 -1.259 12 46.9 1758 -2.172 -1.321 13 47.9 1759 -1.462 -1.323 13 47.9 1760 -3.161 -1.264 13 47.9 1761 0.574 -1.146 13 47.9 1762 -1.305 -0.985 13 47.9 1763 -0.188 -0.786 13 47.9 1764 -3.637 -0.555 13 47.9 1765 -0.796 -0.296 13 47.9 1766 2.111 -0.037 13 47.9 1767 -0.265 0.193 13 47.9 1768 2.605 0.373 13 47.9 1769 1.598 0.491 13 47.9 1770 0.705 0.548 13 47.9 1771 1.873 0.555 13 47.9 1772 -1.567 0.531 13 47.9 1773 0.627 0.497 13 47.9 1774 -1.237 0.466 13 47.9 1775 0.147 0.442 14 49.8 1776 -0.003 0.422 14 49.8 1777 2.6 0.395 14 49.8 1778 0.743 0.349 14 49.8 1779 -0.493 0.289 14 49.8 1780 -0.446 0.225 14 49.8 1781 1.028 0.159 14 49.8 1782 -0.438 0.09 14 49.8 1783 0.578 0.021 15 48.8 1784 -1.976 -0.045 15 48.8 1785 0.942 -0.108 15 48.8 1786 0.759 -0.177 15 48.8 1787 -0.929 -0.254 15 48.8 1788 0.254 -0.337 15 48.8 1789 0.115 -0.424 15 48.8 1790 -0.916 -0.51 16 50.7 1791 -1.608 -0.586 16 50.7 1792 -1.405 -0.646 16 50.7 1793 0.346 -0.695 16 50.7 1794 -0.165 -0.74 16 50.7 1795 -0.482 -0.783 16 50.7 1796 0.748 -0.818 16 50.7 1797 -2.433 -0.838 16 50.7 1798 -1.261 -0.823 16 50.7 1799 -2.483 -0.764 16 50.7 1800 0.312 -0.661 16 50.7 1801 -3.048 -0.522 16 50.7 1802 -1.512 -0.358 16 50.7 1803 0.82 -0.195 16 50.7 1804 2.11 -0.068 16 50.7 1805 1.224 -0.008 16 50.7 1806 1.613 -0.023 16 50.7 1807 0.356 -0.11 16 50.7 1808 0.42 -0.252 16 50.7 1809 -1.642 -0.425 16 50.7 1810 0.17 -0.602 18 53.4 1811 -2.498 -0.761 18 53.4 1812 -1.728 -0.88 18 53.4 1813 -2.352 -0.95 18 53.4 1814 -0.599 -0.97 18 53.4 1815 -0.08 -0.951 18 53.4 1816 -1.483 -0.901 18 53.4 1817 0.68 -0.823 18 53.4 1818 -2.877 -0.721 18 53.4 1819 -2.058 -0.593 18 53.4 1820 1.046 -0.45 18 53.4 1821 0.443 -0.314 20 54.3 1822 -0.312 -0.201 20 54.3 1823 1.803 -0.116 20 54.3 1824 -0.298 -0.062 20 54.3 1825 0.31 -0.031 20 54.3 1826 -1.547 -0.012 20 54.3 1827 0.826 0.006 20 54.3 1828 -0.939 0.025 20 54.3 1829 0.174 0.048 20 54.3 1830 -1.834 0.074 20 54.3 1831 0.772 0.099 20 54.3 1832 1.315 0.105 20 54.3 1833 0.897 0.08 20 54.3 1834 -0.051 0.022 20 54.3 1835 0.729 -0.065 20 54.3 1836 1.482 -0.175 20 54.3 1837 -1.561 -0.293 20 54.3 1838 -0.44 -0.395 20 54.3 1839 -4.042 -0.462 20 54.3 1840 -0.45 -0.483 22 61.7 1841 0.058 -0.471 22 61.7 1842 0.722 -0.443 22 61.7 1843 0.388 -0.412 22 61.7 1844 -0.26 -0.38 22 61.7 1845 -3.251 -0.341 22 61.7 1846 -0.01 -0.294 22 61.7 1847 1.414 -0.254 22 61.7 1848 0.433 -0.238 22 61.7 1849 0.608 -0.249 22 61.7 1850 -0.379 -0.282 22 61.7 1851 -0.684 -0.327 22 61.7 1852 0.414 -0.372 22 61.7 1853 -1.656 -0.406 22 61.7 1854 -0.353 -0.416 23 61.7 1855 -1.451 -0.398 23 61.7 1856 -0.189 -0.348 23 61.7 1857 -1.065 -0.27 23 61.7 1858 0.141 -0.17 23 61.7 1859 0.233 -0.058 23 61.7 1860 -0.596 0.057 23 61.7 1861 -0.362 0.168 23 61.7 1862 2.035 0.261 23 61.7 1863 1.327 0.324 23 61.7 1864 1.059 0.354 23 61.7 1865 -0.559 0.36 23 61.7 1866 0.505 0.357 23 61.7 1867 -0.664 0.353 23 61.7 1868 -0.077 0.354 23 61.7 1869 -0.016 0.362 23 61.7 1870 -0.493 0.37 23 61.7 1871 1.986 0.369 23 61.7 1872 -0.077 0.345 23 61.7 1873 2.685 0.294 23 61.7 1874 0.635 0.214 23 61.7 1875 -0.539 0.119 23 61.7 1876 -0.286 0.03 23 61.7 1877 -0.93 -0.038 23 61.7 1878 -1.118 -0.074 23 61.7 1879 -1.263 -0.075 23 61.7 1880 0.569 -0.047 23 61.7 1881 -0.531 -0.005 23 61.7 1882 1.29 0.035 23 61.7 1883 0.335 0.059 23 61.7 1884 0.912 0.062 23 61.7 1885 -0.698 0.04 23 61.7 1886 2.152 -0.003 23 61.7 1887 -3.248 -0.063 23 61.7 1888 0.542 -0.129 23 61.7 1889 0.05 -0.208 23 61.7 1890 0.41 -0.304 23 61.7 1891 -1.146 -0.419 23 61.7 1892 0.553 -0.551 23 61.7 1893 0.611 -0.699 23 61.7 1894 -1.924 -0.855 23 61.7 1895 0.306 -1.003 23 61.7 1896 -2.762 -1.126 23 61.7 1897 -0.779 -1.208 23 61.7 1898 -3.82 -1.237 23 61.7 1899 -2.436 -1.206 23 61.7 1900 -0.403 -1.127 23 61.7 1901 1.297 -1.023 23 61.7 1902 -1.45 -0.909 23 61.7 1903 0.981 -0.787 23 61.7 1904 -3.595 -0.652 23 61.7 1905 -1.784 -0.498 23 61.7 1906 0.011 -0.334 23 61.7 1907 0.393 -0.182 23 61.7 1908 0.936 -0.065 23 61.7 1909 3.182 0.003 23 61.7 1910 0.506 0.018 23 61.7 1911 -2.502 0.001 23 61.7 1912 1.612 -0.025 23 61.7 1913 -0.77 -0.046 23 61.7 1914 -2.792 -0.048 23 61.7 1915 -0.056 -0.018 23 61.7 1916 0.135 0.034 23 61.7 1917 0.137 0.095 23 61.7 1918 -0.98 0.154 23 61.7 1919 1.841 0.195 23 61.7 1920 1.255 0.2 23 61.7 1921 -0.878 0.163 23 61.7 1922 2.072 0.081 23 61.7 1923 2.297 -0.046 23 61.7 1924 0.601 -0.205 23 61.7 1925 -4.003 -0.364 23 61.7 1926 -3.343 -0.486 23 61.7 1927 -2.54 -0.562 23 61.7 1928 1.773 -0.611 23 61.7 1929 2.812 -0.666 23 61.7 1930 -0.484 -0.74 23 61.7 1931 -1.67 -0.821 23 61.7 1932 -0.901 -0.891 23 61.7 1933 -2.283 -0.936 23 61.7 1934 -0.789 -0.946 23 61.7 1935 -0.818 -0.92 23 61.7 1936 -2.073 -0.858 23 61.7 1937 -0.29 -0.761 23 61.7 1938 -0.318 -0.636 23 61.7 1939 -0.119 -0.49 23 61.7 1940 -0.96 -0.325 23 61.7 1941 -2.791 -0.143 23 61.7 1942 1.243 0.048 23 61.7 1943 1.968 0.224 23 61.7 1944 -0.535 0.364 23 61.7 1945 0.446 0.463 23 61.7 1946 2.009 0.511 23 61.7 1947 1.466 0.498 23 61.7 1948 -0.583 0.426 23 61.7 1949 1.992 0.306 23 61.7 1950 0.259 0.144 23 61.7 1951 0.259 -0.043 23 61.7 1952 -0.08 -0.236 23 61.7 1953 -0.487 -0.41 23 61.7 1954 -2.328 -0.542 23 61.7 1955 -2.5 -0.61 23 61.7 1956 -1.909 -0.608 23 61.7 1957 0.247 -0.547 23 61.7 1958 0.862 -0.449 23 61.7 1959 0.56 -0.328 23 61.7 1960 -1.929 -0.19 23 61.7 1961 0.386 -0.035 23 61.7 1962 0.01 0.129 23 61.7 1963 1.827 0.292 23 61.7 1964 0.298 0.448 23 61.7 1965 0.011 0.6 23 61.7 1966 0.736 0.751 23 61.7 1967 -0.661 0.901 23 61.7 1968 1.249 1.044 23 61.7 1969 1.344 1.168 23 61.7 1970 2.058 1.256 23 61.7 1971 1.363 1.296 23 61.7 1972 0.644 1.283 23 61.7 1973 2.846 1.209 23 61.7 1974 1.512 1.068 23 61.7 1975 3.138 0.863 23 61.7 1976 1.677 0.605 23 61.7 1977 -1.743 0.324 18 52.6 1978 -0.779 0.057 18 52.6 1979 -1.539 -0.173 18 52.6 1980 -0.275 -0.352 18 52.6 1981 -2.323 -0.479 18 52.6 1982 0.716 -0.555 18 52.6 1983 0.06 -0.592 18 52.6 1984 -0.192 -0.596 14 41.7 1985 -0.311 -0.566 14 41.7 1986 -2.319 -0.496 14 41.7 1987 -1.523 -0.381 14 41.7 1988 -1.625 -0.23 14 41.7 1989 1.822 -0.064 14 41.7 1990 0.112 0.088 14 41.7 1991 1.684 0.207 14 41.7 1992 1.87 0.28 14 41.7 1993 -1.193 0.306 14 41.7 1994 1.71 0.293 14 41.7 1995 -0.476 0.246 10 41.9 1996 0.88 0.175 10 41.9 1997 1.263 0.089 10 41.9 1998 -1.069 0.001 10 41.9 1999 -1.469 -0.068 10 41.9 2000 -2.264 -0.103 10 41.9 2001 0.838 -0.106 10 41.9 2002 -1.862 -0.092 NA NA 2003 3.512 -0.076 NA NA 2004 -0.45 -0.08 NA NA 2005 3.226 -0.101 NA NA 2006 -1.64 -0.133 NA NA 2007 -2.854 -0.147 NA NA 2008 -2.412 -0.125 NA NA 2009 -0.062 -0.071 NA NA 2010 2.324 -0.011 NA NA