noaa-historical-12201 eng; USA utf8 dataset NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information pointOfContact NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology Data Center Contact 828-271-4800 303-497-6513 325 Broadway, E/NE31 Boulder CO 80305-3328 USA paleo@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2024-05-18 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - 19th Century African Instrumental and Documentary Precipitation Data 2011-10-04 publication doi:10.25921/fe54-tn06 noaa-historical-12201 NCEI DSI 1200_02 NCEI DSI 1200_01 Nicholson, S.E. originator Nicholson, S.E. author NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information publisher tableDigital This archived Paleoclimatology Study is available from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), under the World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology. The associated NCEI study type is Historical. The data include parameters of historical with a geographic location of South Africa, Southern Africa. The time period coverage is from 76 to 50 in calendar years before present (BP). See metadata information for parameter and study location details. Please cite this study when using the data. Records of past climate and environment from historical references and documentary evidence such as church records, harvest dates, and diaries. Parameter keywords describe what was measured in this dataset. Additional summary information can be found in the abstracts of papers listed in the dataset citations. completed NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information pointOfContact NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology Data Center Contact 828-271-4800 303-497-6513 325 Broadway, E/NE31 Boulder CO 80305-3328 USA paleo@noaa.gov pointOfContact https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/webimages/pc-default-historical.png Paleoclimatology - Historical PNG Earth Science > Climate Indicators > Paleoclimate Indicators > Paleoclimate Reconstructions Earth Science > Paleoclimate > Paleoclimate Reconstructions theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 2025 revision 22 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian earth science > paleoclimate > historical earth science > paleoclimate > instrumental earth science > paleoclimate > historical earth science > paleoclimate > historical earth science > paleoclimate > instrumental earth science > paleoclimate > historical earth science > paleoclimate > historical > weather observation earth science > paleoclimate > historical > document theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 2025 revision 22 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian What: temperature; Material: null What: collection date; Material: null What: age; Material: null What: streamflow; Material: null What: precipitation; Material: null What: moisture index; Material: null theme Paleoenvironmental Standard Terms (PaST) Thesaurus NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/paleoclimatology/paleoenvironmental-standard-terms-thesaurus PaST Thesaurus information publisher Continent > Africa > Southern Africa > South Africa > Wynberg > LATITUDE -34 > LONGITUDE 18.4667 Continent > Africa > Eastern Africa > Ethiopia > Massawa > LATITUDE 15.6167 > LONGITUDE 39.45 Continent > Africa > Northern Africa > Algeria > Aflou > LATITUDE 34.1333 > LONGITUDE 2.05 place DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2025 revision 22 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian otherRestrictions Cite as: Nicholson, S.E. (2011-10-04): NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - 19th Century African Instrumental and Documentary Precipitation Data. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/fe54-tn06. Accessed [date]. otherRestrictions Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives. otherRestrictions Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose otherRestrictions None otherRestrictions Please cite original publication, online resource, dataset and publication DOIs (where available), and date accessed when using downloaded data. If there is no publication information, please cite investigator, title, online resource, and date accessed. The appearance of external links associated with a dataset does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the Department of Commerce/NOAA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this Department of Commerce/NOAA Web site. A Semi-Quantitative, Regional Precipitation Data Set for Studying African Climates of the Nineteenth Century, Part I. Overview of the Data Set 2001 publication Nicholson, S.E. author Climatic Change publisher https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010674724320 HTTPS Web Browser Associated Reference published 2001 Nicholson, S.E., 2001: A Semi-Quantitative, Regional Precipitation Data Set for Studying African Climates of the Nineteenth Century, Part I. Overview of the Data Set. Climatic Change, 50, 317-353, 10.1023/A:1010674724320 information crossReference sciencePaper eng; USA geoscientificInformation Date Range: 1874 CE to 1900 CE; Date Range: 76 cal yr BP to 50 cal yr BP; 2.05 39.45 -34 34.1333 1874 1900 STUDY NOTES: African Rain Gauge and documentary information for the 19th Century. African precipitation gauge data: The historical gauge data contains precipitation readings of monthly data for stations in and around Africa. Each station is listed in order, with its location in Latitude (DDDMM), longitude (DDDMM) and altitude (meters). The second line of the header is the mean rainfall for each month, with the total rainfall at the last column. Standard deviations (if available) are listed in the third line of the header. Each subsequent line consists of the actual raw data. The individual record is the 5 letter year code, the 5 letter station code, year, 12 months of data, and the year total. Missing data is noted by 9999 for the months and 99999 for the year. In some cases only the year total was available, denoted by the code letter 'G' after the year (col 15). Each station's data list is terminated by a record list of all 9's. All values are in millimeters per month for the 12 months (Jan to Dec) and the year total in mm/year. African historical regional data: The entry for each region and year includes five points of information. Left to right, these are the region number, year, index class (-3 to +3), the number of entries used to produce the index, and the source of the information. The right hand column on source uses H to designate documentary information, G to designate a gauge record, "regional substitution" to indicate a value obtained from a nearby and high- correlated region, and "spatial reconstruction" to indicate that a technique based on PCs was used to fill in spatial gaps. The precipitation index associated with all gauge and documentary entries is also given in this column. African historical documentary information: The data set is based on geographic regions, the approximate coordinates of which are given below. The geographical distribution of the regions is given in several publications, including Nicholson 1986 and Nicholson 2001. Data are presented as local precipitation index, a wetness index ranging from -3 to +3. For each entry there are five categories of information, indicated respectively by %A, %F, %K, %D, and %T. %A indicates which of the ninety regions the entry applies to. %F indicates the index value(-3 for extremely dry to +3 for extremely wet). %K indicates the geographical area in Africa, usually by country. %D indicates the year or years to which the entry applies. %T gives the information are climate and weather in the year and, in most cases, a source is given. ABSTRACT SUPPLIED BY ORIGINATOR: This article describes a historical archive of proxy and actual precipitation data that extends the African climate record back to the early nineteenth century. The 'proxy' archive includes verbal, documentary references which contain information related to rainfall conditions, such as references to famine, drought, agriculture or the nature of the rainy season. The precipitation archive includes all observations made in Africa during the nineteenth century. It consists of records for 60 stations in Algeria, 87 stations in South Africa and 304 stations scattered over the rest of Africa. Information is particularly plentiful for the 1880s and 1890s. The two parts have been combined into a semi-quantitative regional data set indicating annual rainfall conditions in terms of anomaly classes (e.g., normal, dry, wet). This data set extends from the early nineteenth century to 1900 and distinguishes seven anomaly classes, using numbers ranging from -3 to +3 to represent very wet, wet, good rains, normal, dry, drought, and severe drought. The regionalization is based on 90 geographical regions shown via studies of the modern precipitation record to be climatically homogeneous with respect to the interannual variability of rainfall. The regional aggregation allows the voluminous fragmentary information available in historical sources to be used systematically to produce multiyear time series that can be directly integrated into the modern record for each region. The resultant time series can also be subjected to statistical analysis, in order to investigate nineteenth century climate over Africa. Spatial detail is added to the data set by utilizing a unique methodology based on climatic teleconnections established from studies of rainfall variability over Africa. The historical information and station records have been combined into a file containing a regional anomaly value for up to 90 geographic regions and the years 1801-1900. Gaps necessarily remain in the matrix, but as early as the 1820s over 40 regions are represented. By the 1880s generally around 70 regions or more are represented. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information distributor In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media. Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions. Native Format(s) https://doi.org/10.25921/fe54-tn06 HTTPS Landing Page Metadata Landing Page NCEI landing page with general information and links to access the data. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/study/12201 HTTPS Web Browser NOAA Study Page Study page with data access information. search https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/paleoclimatology/fire-history HTTPS Information NCEI Historical Page General information for this data type. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/historical/africa/africa2001precip.xls HTTPS Download NCEI Direct Download Direct download links for dataset files. download https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/historical/africa/africa2001precip.txt HTTPS Download NCEI Direct Download Direct download links for dataset files. download asNeeded This ISO metadata record was translated from DIF metadata using dif-9x-to-iso-19115-2.xsl Version: 2022-06-21