date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 21:02:41 -0400
from: Edward Cook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
subject: Re: Review- confidential
to: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>

   Hi Keith,

   I just got back from a meeting at Duke with Crowley, with Phil there and a bunch of
   modelers/stats types like Miles Allen, Tim Barnett, and Francis Zwiers. I was asked to
   specifically discuss the Esper series and how it was created. Overall it went well I think.
   I suspect that the paper Phil and Mike are going to put together is mainly in response to
   the Soon and Baliunus paper in Climate Research, although Mike will undoubtedly do what he
   can to discredit the Esper series. Phil didn't mention anything about this paper to me, but
   upon my return there was an email from Mike asking for all of the Esper data, including the
   long Mongolia record. Fat chance on the latter. I will give him the former if Jan agrees,
   but not out of any respect to him. Interesting too what you say about Ray, Malcolm, and
   Henry. Not surprising, but interesting. I have already sent Ray the Esper data minus
   Mongolia. I think he presented it in part of his talk in Nice on the MWP.

   I will be happy to work on your suggested paper with you and Tim. Where do you think it
   would be published. Let me know how you want to proceed.

   Cheers,

   Ed

     I presume you are not there at the moment - but this can't wait
     I have been mulling over the idea of a review along the lines of "Late Holocene History
     of Northern Hemisphere Temperatures - the contribution of Tree-Ring Data" . In part this
     is stimulated again recently by the news that Mike Mann and Phil Jones are writing a
     review of the Northern Hemisphere series in which (according to Mike Mann) they will
     " among other things, dispel the most severe of the myths that some of these folks are
     perpetuating regarding past climate change in past centuries."
     Also I understand that  Ray Bradley, Malcolm Hughes, and Henry Diaz are working,
     independently, on a solicited piece for Science on the "Medieval Warm Period".
     I truly believe that for the good of the Science , this requires an informed
     contribution regarding the implications of the tree-ring input to this work.
     It would encompass a review of the role of ring-width and density data , and
     implications of how they are used (standardised/ built into chronologies/calibrated) in
     the various series. It could be used to say a lot more as well about the apparent extent
     of 20th century warming? I think Tim could write it - but with our help. What do you say
     (in principal) and then we can think about organising a plan for the next couple of
     months and a  trip for us to come to  you ?

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

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

--

   ==================================
   Dr. Edward R. Cook
   Doherty Senior Scholar and
   Director, Tree-Ring Laboratory
   Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
   Palisades, New York 10964  USA
   Email:        drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu
   Phone:        845-365-8618
   Fax:        845-365-8152
   ==================================