cc: Edward Cook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:48:52 +0700
from: Edward Cook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
subject: Re: Euro drought atlas - first thoughts
to: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>

   Hi Keith,

   This all sounds good. Richard has suggested that we have the meeting at CRU instead to make
   the meeting more Euro-centric. I have no problem with that and always love to come over to
   visit with you in any case. So think about having the meeting at CRU if you are up for it.
   Richard and I would of course pay for any travel to bring you over to Lamont in any case.
   Tom too for that matter.

   I have thought about the problem of funding you have for Tom. I will do whatever I can to
   see that he continues working with you through your NERC proposal. I am sure it will be
   great work. It is too late in the near term, but is there any chance of applying for
   funding through NERC next year to support our collaboration on drought recons over Europe?

   Cheers,

   Ed
   ==================================
   Dr. Edward R. Cook
   Doherty Senior Scholar and
   Director, Tree-Ring Laboratory
   Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
   Palisades, New York 10964  USA
   Email: [1]drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu
   Phone: 845-365-8618
   Fax: 845-365-8152
   ==================================
   On Nov 14, 2008, at 8:27 PM, Keith Briffa wrote:

   Ed
   Point one is that I truly believe all tree-ring data will need to be re-standardised (and
   perhaps pseudo gridded in a systematic , using signal-free method in the standardisation.
   It is likely preferable to consider working in consistent period bands  (but we could
   discuss this later) .There is also potential to use signal-free RCS in certain situations .
   There are excellent drought sensitive and long (Pinus nigra ) that Michael Grabner has/is
   developing that would compliment other stuff such as Rob's in the Alps. There are
   low-elevation data in and around Switzerland that are drought sensitive conifers that the
   Swiss group and Italians/French have developed (paper I sent you before) . There is also
   the wealth of oak data many unpublished ( but of which many in our archive). These will
   need special attention to objectively re-process, group and grid - especially the
   sub-fossil data.
   The work should explore further the validity of the sc versus non-sc PDSI and other
   precipitation variables.
   Of course you would be mad and wrong not to invite/involve Jan's group - you want them much
   more than you need , say Rob. Yes I like Rob more than certain of the Swiss/German group -
   that is my problem and not any one else and least of all yours. David Frank is a great guy.
   The other straight up fact is that I basically have no travel support - or funds to support
   Tom Melvin , the latter after next year. If he was to do much - and frankly he would have
   to crank through the processing as I am genuinely virtually full time
   teaching/administration/ etc. these days, he will need salary.
   This is the reason I am submitting  (if I gets it written - no it has to) a UK NERC
   proposal by the end of next week (on the divergence issue) and I will be putting you down
   as a suggested referee - NERC often ignore these suggestions - but if you get it you need
   to grade it top for importance and quality etc . More later on this .
   Have to rush
   Keith
   PS you are always, always welcome here and at our home whenever and for as long as you wish
   whatever transpires. cheers
   Keith
    At 06:50 14/11/2008, you wrote:

     Hi Keith,
     I'm sitting in Bangkok thinking about how we must proceed to produce
     gridded drought recons over Europe, north Africa, and over into
     Turkey. After his visit with you, Richard indicated that you are keen
     to get started, although with some reservations about how good the
     European tree-ring data will be for the task. That we can address when
     the time comes to do direct calibration/verification against gridded
     PDSI. Perhaps I am being overly optimistic on how well we will do, but
     maybe you will be surprised by that too. But first we must find a way
     to put together the tree-ring network in as complete a fashion as
     possible. I am confident that we can get Ramzi Touchan and the Cornell
     group (Sturt Manning and Carol Griggs) involved. That will provide a
     lot of new data to augment what you can get your hands on along the
     Mediterranean Rim and elsewhere south of the Alps. I think I might be
     able to get some Turkey tree-ring scientists involved too (e.g. Nesibe
     Kose). Sasha Gershunov from Scripps also indicates to me that he has
     some contacts in Georgia that may enable us to get some tree-ring data
     from there too. North of the Alps is where we are totally dependent on
     what you and others can provide in the way of tree-ring data.
     What I want to do is hold a meeting at Lamont with determine how best
     to develop the tree-ring network. My usual travel plans make it
     impossible for me to do so before late-April or May 2009. Maybe that
     is just as well to give us time to get organized. Those who would be
     invited would be those with tree-ring data to contribute to the effort
     and be part of the overall effort at various levels. Besides you, who
     do you suggest from Europe? Rob Wilson? He would be fine with me. I
     would also like to invite someone from WSL too because Esper and his
     group have been very active in getting/developing tree-ring data sets.
     I know you have issues with Esper, so you will have to be totally
     honest about whether or not you would like him to be invited. Dave
     Frank is a good alternate in my opinion. I am not sure we can easily
     avoid inviting one or the other. Any other names you can suggest? We
     don't want it to be a big meeting. Mainly just one for organizing how
     to compile the tree-ring data sets we need for the network. Of course,
     another topic will be how to standardize the tree-ring data and who
     will do it. I would of course be pleased for you and Tom to take on
     that challenge, with me involved as much as I am able to or am needed.
     I would be happy to come over to CRU to work with you guys on that
     effort.
     So please let me know your thoughts on this email. It is only to you
     at this stage so that we can have frank discussions on how to proceed
     along the lines I have described here.
     Cheers,
     Ed
     ==================================
     Dr. Edward R. Cook
     Doherty Senior Scholar and
     Director, Tree-Ring Laboratory
     Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
     Palisades, New York 10964  USA
     Email: [2]drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu
     Phone: 845-365-8618
     Fax: 845-365-8152
     ==================================

   --
   Professor Keith Briffa,
   Climatic Research Unit
   University of East Anglia
   Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K.

   Phone: +44-1603-593909
   Fax: +44-1603-507784
   [3]http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/people/briffa/

