Tree-ring based drought reconstruction for the Guiqing mountain (China): Linkages to the indian and Pacific Oceans

Abstract

We have reconstructed the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) from 1618 to 2005 for the Guiqing Mountain area, north central China, using tree rings of Pinus tabulaeformis. The reconstruction explains 49% of the actual PDSI variance during the common period 1951-2005. The PDSI reconstruction is representative of moisture conditions over a large area to the south and east of the sampling site, the core area for the 1997 severe drought. It shows slightly different variations when compared to other available PDSI reconstructions north and west of the sampling sites. The drought epoch since 1994 is most severe for our study region, with least intensity for the Helan Mountain area. The drought in 1997 was centered in the Guiqing Mountain area, and appears to be the most extreme drought event over the length of reconstruction. Significant spectral peaks are identified at 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2, 3.6, 42.7 and 53.8 years. Our reconstructed droughts are significantly correlated with sea surface temperature in the northern Indian Ocean, western equatorial Pacific Ocean, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, Eastern China Sea and Sea of Japan. The linkages to the Indian and Pacific Oceans suggest the connection of regional moisture variations to the Asian monsoon circulations. © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society.