Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variations in monsoon precipitation over southwest China during the last 1500 years and possible driving forces

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding hydroclimatic patterns and their possible driving mechanisms during distinct climate periods over the last 1500 years—such as the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA), and the Current Warm Period—is crucial for predicting future changes to monsoon precipitation in southwest China under global warming scenarios. In this study, based on 210Pb and 137Cs dating of surface sediments and AMS 14C dating of terrestrial plant residues, we establish a robust age model that covers the last ∼1500 years (AD 439–2012) at Lake Yihai in southwest China. We use analyses of multiple geochemical proxy indices, including loss on ignition at 550°C, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratios, and stable carbon isotopes of organic matter to reconstruct changes in summer monsoon precipitation at Lake Yihai during the last ∼1500 years. The results show that, over southwest China, warm and dry climate conditions prevailed during the MWP (AD 1000–1400) and the past 200 years, whereas conditions during the LIA (AD 1400–1800) were cold and wet. This is consistent with evidence from other geological records over southwest China, such as stalagmite and lake sediment data. Similar hydroclimatic patterns have occurred over the last 1500 years in adjacent tropical/subtropical monsoon regions where the climate is similarly dominated by the Indian summer monsoon (e.g., South China, the South China Sea, Southeast Asia, Northeast India). We suggest that the meridional migration of the mean position of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, and El Niño/Southern Oscillation conditions which are linked to tropical Pacific sea surface temperature, are responsible for centennial-scale hydroclimatic patterns over southwest China and adjacent areas during the last 1500 years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • An Z S, Clemens S C, Shen J, Qiang X K, Jin Z D, Sun Y B, Prell W, Luo J J, Wang S M, Xu H, Cai Y J, Zhou W J, Liu X D, Liu W G, Shi Z G, Yan L B, Xiao X Y, Chang H, Wu F, Ai L, Lu F Y. 2011. Glacial-interglacial Indian summer monsoon dynamics. Science, 333: 719–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appleby P G, Oldfield F. 1978. The calculation of lead-210 dates assuming a constant rate of supply of unsupported 210Pb to the sediment. Catena, 5: 1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asmerom Y, Baldini J U L, Prufer K M, Polyak V J, Ridley H E, Aquino V V, Baldini L M, Breitenbach S F M, Macpherson C G, Kennett D J. 2020. Intertropical convergence zone variability in the Neotropics during the Common Era. Sci Adv, 6: eaax3644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker A J, Sodemann H, Baldini J U L, Breitenbach S F M, Johnson K R, van Hunen J, Zhang P. 2015. Seasonality of westerly moisture transport in the East Asian summer monsoon and its implications for interpreting precipitation δ18 O. J Geophys Res-Atmos, 120: 5850–5862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bard E, Raisbeck G, Yiou F, Jouzel J. 2000. Solar irradiance during the last 1200 years based on cosmogenic nuclides. Tellus B-Chem Phys Meteorol, 52: 985–992

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C J, Huang R, Yuan D X, Zhang J, Cheng H, Ning Y F, Yu T L, Shen C C, Edwards R L, Long X Y, Wang T, Xiao S Y, Wu Y, Liu Z Q, Li T Y, Li J Y. 2021. Karst hydrological changes during the Late-Holocene in Southwestern China. Quat Sci Rev, 258: 106865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen F H, Chen J H, Holmes J, Boomer I, Austin P, Gates J B, Wang N L, Brooks S J, Zhang J W. 2010. Moisture changes over the last millennium in arid central Asia: A review, synthesis and comparison with monsoon region. Quat Sci Rev, 29: 1055–1068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J H, Chen F H, Feng S, Huang W, Liu J B, Zhou A F. 2015. Hydroclimatic changes in China and surroundings during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age: Spatial patterns and possible mechanisms. Quat Sci Rev, 107: 98–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen P N, Wang G A, Han J M, Liu X J, Liu M. 2010. δ13C difference between plants and soil organic matter along the eastern slope of Mount Gongga. Chin Sci Bull, 55: 55–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng H, Sinha A, Wang X F, Cruz F W, Edwards R L. 2012. The Global Paleomonsoon as seen through speleothem records from Asia and the Americas. Clim Dyn, 39: 1045–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang J C H, Friedman A R. 2012. Extratropical cooling, interhemispheric thermal gradients, and tropical climate change. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 40: 383–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu G Q, Liu J Q, Sun Q, Lu H Y, Gu Z Y, Wang W Y, Liu T S. 2002. The ‘Mediaeval Warm Period’ drought recorded in Lake Huguangyan, tropical South China. Holocene, 12: 511–516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conroy J L, Overpeck J T, Cole J E, Shanahan T M, Steinitz-Kannan M. 2008. Holocene changes in eastern tropical Pacific climate inferred from a Galápagos lake sediment record. Quat Sci Rev, 27: 1166–1180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz H F, Trigo R, Hughes M K, Mann M E, Xoplaki E, Barriopedro D. 2011. Spatial and temporal characteristics of climate in medieval times revisited. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc, 92: 1487–1500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding Y H, Chan J C L. 2005. The East Asian summer monsoon: An overview. Meteorol Atmos Phys, 89: 117–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixit Y, Tandon S K. 2016. Hydroclimatic variability on the Indian subcontinent in the past millennium: Review and assessment. Earth-Sci Rev, 161: 1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan F C, Wang Y J, Shen C C, Wang Y, Cheng H, Wu C C, Hu H M, Kong X G, Liu D B, Zhao K. 2014. Evidence for solar cycles in a late Holocene speleothem record from Dongge Cave, China. Sci Rep, 4: 5159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dykoski C A, Edwards R L, Cheng H, Yuan D, Cai Y, Zhang M, Lin Y, Qing J, An Z, Revenaugh J. 2005. A high-resolution, absolute-dated Holocene and deglacial Asian monsoon record from Dongge Cave, China. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 233: 71–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finlay J C, Kendall C. 2007. Stable isotope tracing of temporal and spatial variability in organic matter sources to freshwater ecosystems. In: Michener R, Lajtha K, eds. Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 283–333

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Freudenthal T, Wagner T, Wenzhöfer F, Zabel M, Wefer G. 2001. Early diagenesis of organic matter from sediments of the eastern subtropical atlantic: Evidence from stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 65: 1795–1808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge Q S, Hao Z X, Zheng J Y, Shao X M. 2013. Temperature changes over the past 2000 yr in China and comparison with the Northern Hemisphere. Clim Past, 9: 1153–1160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grießinger J, Bräuning A, Helle G, Thomas A, Schleser G. 2011. Late Holocene Asian summer monsoon variability reflected by δ18O in tree-rings from Tibetan junipers. Geophys Res Lett, 38: L03701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haug G H, Hughen K A, Sigman D M, Peterson L C, Rohl U. 2001. Southward migration of the intertropical convergence zone through the Holocene. Science, 293: 1304–1308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He C, Zhou T J, Wu B. 2015. The key oceanic regions responsible for the interannual variability of the western North Pacific subtropical high and associated mechanisms. J Meteorol Res, 29: 562–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He D M, Feng Y, Hu J M. 2007. Utilization of Water Resources and Environmental Conservation in the International Rivers, Southwest China (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 114–158

    Google Scholar 

  • He Y, Wang Y, Kong X, Cheng H. 2005. High resolution stalagmite δ18O records over the past 1000 years from Dongge Cave in Guizhou. Chin Sci Bull, 50: 1003–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heiri O, Lotter A F, Lemcke G. 2001. Loss on ignition as a method for estimating organic and carbonate content in sediments: Reproducibility and comparability of results. J Paleolimnol, 25: 101–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herczeg A L, Smith A K, Dighton J C. 2001. A 120 year record of changes in nitrogen and carbon cycling in Lake Alexandrina, South Australia: C: N, δ15N and δ13C in sediments. Appl Geochem, 16: 73–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X P, Wang S G, Xu P P, Shang K Z. 2014. Analysis on causes of continuous drought in southwest China during 2009–2013 (in Chinese with English abstract). Meteorol Monthly, 40: 1216–1229

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang R H, Liu Y, Wang L, Wang L. 2012. Analyses of the causes of severe drought occurring in southwest China from the fall of 2009 to the spring of 2010 (in Chinese with English abstract). Chin J Atmos Sci, 36: 443–457

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji Y H, Zhou G S, Wang S D, Wang L X. 2015. Increase in flood and drought disasters during 1500–2000 in Southwest China. Nat Hazards, 77: 1853–1861

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang S M, Held I M, Frierson D M W, Zhao M. 2008. The response of the ITCZ to extratropical thermal forcing: Idealized slab-ocean experiments with a GCM. J Clim, 21: 3521–3532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamb H H. 1965. The early medieval warm epoch and its sequel. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 1: 13–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lan J H, Wang T L, Chawchai S, Cheng P, Xu H. 2020a. Time marker of 137Cs fallout maximum in lake sediments of Northwest China. Quat Sci Rev, 241: 106413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lan J H, Xu H, Lang Y C, Yu K K, Zhou P, Kang S G, Zhou K E, Wang X L, Wang T L, Cheng P, Yan D N, Yu S Y, Che P, Ye Y D, Tan L C. 2020b. Dramatic weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon in northern China during the transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age. Geology, 48: 307–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann M F, Bernasconi S M, Barbieri A, McKenzie J A. 2002. Preservation of organic matter and alteration of its carbon and nitrogen isotope composition during simulated and in situ early sedimentary diagenesis. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 66: 3573–3584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leng M J, Marshall J D. 2004. Palaeoclimate interpretation of stable isotope data from lake sediment archives. Quat Sci Rev, 23: 811–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J Z, Wang G A, Liu X Z, Han J M, Liu M, Liu X J. 2009. Variations in carbon isotope ratios of C3 plants and distribution of C4 plants along an altitudinal transect on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 52: 1714–1723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang B, Wu B, Zhou T J, Chang C P, Zhang R. 2017. Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A review. J Meteorol Res, 31: 987–1006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y J, Ren F M, Li Y P, Wang P L, Yan H M. 2014. Characteristics of the regional meteorological drought events in Southwest China during 1960–2010. J Meteorol Res, 28: 381–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H L, Wang D Y. 1984. A study of the remains of ancient forest in Mianning, Sichuan (in Chinese with English abstract). Sci Silvae Sin, 20: 380–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Wang B, Cane M A, Yim S Y, Lee J Y. 2013. Divergent global precipitation changes induced by natural versus anthropogenic forcing. Nature, 493: 656–659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Wang B, Ding Q H, Kuang X Y, Soon W, Zorita E. 2009. Centennial variations of the global monsoon precipitation in the last millennium: Results from ECHO-G model. J Clim, 22: 2356–2371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Wang B, Wang H L, Kuang X Y, Ti R Y. 2011. Forced response of the East Asian summer rainfall over the past millennium: Results from a coupled model simulation. Clim Dyn, 36: 323–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Pujol J, Zhang F M, Ge S. 2006. Plant biodiversity in China: Richly varied, endangered, and in need of conservation. Biodivers Conserv, 15: 3983–4026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Xu X L, Yan W. 2006. Characteristics and evaluation of geological relic landscape in Yihai-Xiaoxiangling mountains in Mianning county and Xide county (in Chinese with English abstract). J Geol Hazards Environ Preserv, 17: 23–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma L, Cai Y J, Qin S J. 2015. A high resolution paleoclimate record of the last 2,300 years in stalagmite QX-3 from the Qixing Cave, Guizhou Province (in Chinese with English abstract). J Earth Environ, 6: 135–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann M E, Zhang Z H, Rutherford S, Bradley R S, Hughes M K, Shindell D, Ammann C, Faluvegi G, Ni F. 2009. Global signatures and dynamical origins of the Little Ice Age and Medieval Climate Anomaly. Science, 326: 1256–1260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcott S A, Shakun J D, Clark P U, Mix A C. 2013. A reconstruction of regional and global temperature for the past 11,300 years. Science, 339: 1198–1201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers P A. 1997. Organic geochemical proxies of paleoceanographic, paleolimnologic, and paleoclimatic processes. Org Geochem, 27: 213–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers P A. 2003. Applications of organic geochemistry to paleolimnological reconstructions: A summary of examples from the Laurentian Great Lakes. Org Geochem, 34: 261–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers P A, Lallier-Vergès E. 1999. Lacustrine sedimentary organic matter records of Late Quaternary paleoclimates. J Paleolimnol, 21: 345–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moberg A, Sonechkin D M, Holmgren K, Datsenko N M, Karlén W, Lauritzen S E. 2005. Highly variable Northern Hemisphere temperatures reconstructed from low- and high-resolution proxy data. Nature, 433: 613–617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moy C M, Seltzer G O, Rodbell D T, Anderson D M. 2002. Variability of El Niño/Southern Oscillation activity at millennial timescales during the Holocene epoch. Nature, 420: 162–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newton A, Thunell R, Stott L. 2006. Climate and hydrographic variability in the Indo-Paciffic Warm Pool during the last millennium. Geophys Res Lett, 33: L19710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pausata F S R, Battisti D S, Nisancioglu K H, Bitz C M. 2011. Chinese stalagmite δ18O controlled by changes in the Indian monsoon during a simulated Heinrich event. Nat Geosci, 4: 474–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reimer P J, Austin W E N, Bard E, Bayliss A, Blackwell P G, Bronk R C, Butzin M, Cheng H, Edwards R, Friedrich M, Grootes P, Guilderson T, Hajdas I, Heaton T, Hogg A, Hughen K, Kromer B, Manning S, Muscheler R, Palmer J, Pearson C, van P J, Reimer R, Richards D, Scott E, Southon J, Turney C, Wacker L, Adolphi F, Büntgen U, Capano M, Fahrni S, Fogtmann-Schulz A, Friedrich R, Köhler P, Kudsk S, Miyake F, Olsen J, Reinig F, Sakamoto M, Sookdeo A, Talamo S. 2020. The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon age calibration curve (0–55 cal ka BP). Radiocarbon, 62: 725–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs J P, Sachse D, Smittenberg R H, Zhang Z, Battisti D S, Golubic S. 2009. Southward movement of the Pacific intertropical convergence zone AD 1400–1850. Nat Geosci, 2: 519–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider T, Bischoff T, Haug G H. 2014. Migrations and dynamics of the intertropical convergence zone. Nature, 513: 45–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheng E G, Yu K K, Xu H, Lan J H, Liu B, Che S. 2015. Late Holocene Indian summer monsoon precipitation history at Lake Lugu, northwestern Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 438: 24–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi F, Fang K, Xu C, Guo Z, Borgaonkar H P. 2017. Interannual to centennial variability of the South Asian summer monsoon over the past millennium. Clim Dyn, 49: 2803–2814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi H, Wang B. 2019. How does the Asian summer precipitation-ENSO relationship change over the past 544 years? Clim Dyn, 52: 4583–4598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi H, Wang B, Cook E R, Liu J, Liu F. 2018. Asian summer precipitation over the past 544 years reconstructed by merging tree rings and historical documentary records. J Clim, 31: 7845–7861

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha A, Berkelhammer M, Stott L, Mudelsee M, Cheng H, Biswas J. 2011. The leading mode of Indian Summer Monsoon precipitation variability during the last millennium. Geophys Res Lett, 38: L15703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talbot M R, Johannessen T. 1992. A high resolution palaeoclimatic record for the last 27,500 years in tropical West Africa from the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of lacustrine organic matter. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 110: 23–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan J F, Xiao X Y, Li Y L. 2018. Late Holocene climatic change revealed by sediment records in Gegongcuonaka, northwestern Yunnan Province (in Chinese with English abstract). Quat Sci, 38: 900–911

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan L C, Cai Y J, An Z S, Cheng H, Shen C C, Gao Y L, Edwards R L. 2017. Decreasing monsoon precipitation in southwest China during the last 240 years associated with the warming of tropical ocean. Clim Dyn, 48: 1769–1778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan L C, Cai Y J, Cheng H, Edwards R L, Lan J H, Zhang H W, Li D, Ma L, Zhao P P, Gao Y L. 2018. High resolution monsoon precipitation changes on southeastern Tibetan Plateau over the past 2300 years. Quat Sci Rev, 195: 122–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan L C, Shen C C, Löwemark L, Chawchai S, Edwards R L, Cai Y J, Breitenbach S F M, Cheng H, Chou Y C, Duerrast H, Partin J W, Cai W J, Chabangborn A, Gao Y L, Kwiecien O, Wu C C, Shi Z G, Hsu H H, Wohlfarth B. 2019. Rainfall variations in central Indo-Pacific over the past 2,700 yr. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 116: 17201–17206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney J E, Oppo D W, Rosenthal Y, Russell J M, Linsley B K. 2010. Coordinated hydrological regimes in the Indo-Pacific region during the past two millennia. Paleoceanography, 25: PA1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tong G B, Wu R J, Wu Y H, Shi Y, Liu Z M, Li Y C. 2000. Vegetation and environmental variations since Holocene in Mianning area, Sichuan Province (in Chinese with English abstract). Acta Micropalaeontol Sin, 17: 470–477

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Wu R, Li T. 2003. Atmosphere-warm ocean interaction and its impacts on Asian-Australian monsoon variation. J Clim, 16: 1195–1211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H J, Chen H P. 2012. Climate control for southeastern China moisture and precipitation: Indian or East Asian monsoon? J Geophys Res, 117: D12109

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Chen W, Zhou W. 2014. Assessment of future drought in Southwest China based on CMIP5 multimodel projections. Adv Atmos Sci, 31: 1035–1050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Chen W, Zhou W, Huang G. 2015. Drought in Southwest China: A Review. Atmos Ocean Sci Lett, 8: 339–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang P X, Wang B, Cheng H, Fasullo J, Guo Z T, Kiefer T, Liu Z Y. 2017. The global monsoon across time scales: Mechanisms and outstanding issues. Earth-Sci Rev, 174: 84–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Anderson N J, Yang X D, Xu M. 2020. Interactions between climate change and early agriculture in SW China and their effect on lake ecosystem functioning at centennial timescales over the last 2000 years. Quat Sci Rev, 233: 106238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y J, Cheng H, Edwards R L, He Y Q, Kong X G, An Z S, Wu J Y, Kelly M J, Dykoski C A, Li X D. 2005. The Holocene Asian monsoon: Links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science, 308: 854–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wanner H, Beer J, Bütikofer J, Crowley T J, Cubasch U, Flückiger J, Goosse H, Grosjean M, Joos F, Kaplan J O, Küttel M, Müller S A, Prentice I C, Solomina O, Stocker T F, Tarasov P, Wagner M, Widmann M. 2008. Mid- to Late Holocene climate change: An overview. Quat Sci Rev, 27: 1791–1828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu D, Chen X M, Lv F Y, Brenner M, Curtis J, Zhou A F, Chen J H, Abbott M, Yu J Q, Chen F H. 2018. Decoupled early Holocene summer temperature and monsoon precipitation in southwest China. Quat Sci Rev, 193: 54–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao S Y, Li T Y, Chen C J, Huang R, Wang T, Wu Y, Xu Y Z, Qiu H Y, Huang Y Y, Li J Y. 2021. Pattern of precipitation changes in southern China during the Little Ice Age (in Chinese with English abstract). Geol Rev, 67: 56–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Ai L, Tan L C, An Z S. 2006. Stable isotopes in bulk carbonates and organic matter in recent sediments of Lake Qinghai and their climatic implications. Chem Geol, 235: 262–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Goldsmith Y, Lan J H, Tan L C, Wang X L, Zhou X Y, Cheng J, Lang Y C, Liu C Q. 2020. Juxtaposition of Western Pacifificsub-tropicalhigh on Asian summer monsoon shapes subtropical East Asian precipitation. Geophys Res Lett, 47: e84705

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Hong Y T, Hong B. 2012. Decreasing Asian summer monsoon intensity after 1860 AD in the global warming epoch. Clim Dyn, 39: 2079–2088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Lan J H, Sheng E G, Liu B, Yu K K, Ye Y D, Shi Z G, Cheng P, Wang X L, Zhou X Y, Yeager K M. 2016. Hydroclimatic contrasts over Asian monsoon areas and linkages to tropical Pacific SSTs. Sci Rep, 6: 33177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Song Y P, Goldsmith Y, Lang Y C. 2019. Meridional ITCZ shifts modulate tropical/subtropical Asian monsoon rainfall. Sci Bull, 64: 1737–1739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Zhou X, Lan J, Liu B, Sheng E, Yu K, Cheng P, Wu F, Hong B, Yeager K M, Xu S. 2015. Late Holocene Indian summer monsoon variations recorded at Lake Erhai, Southwestern China. Quat Res, 83: 307–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan D, Xu H, Lan J, Yang M, Wang F, Hou W, Zhou K, An Z. 2020. Warming favors subtropical lake cyanobacterial biomass increasing. Sci Total Environ, 726: 138606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan H M, Xiao Z N, Xue J J. 2021. The influence of east-west displacement of Northwestern Pacific subtropical high on east-west difference of precipitation in southern China in early summer (in Chinese with English abstract). Chin J Geophys, 64: 765–781

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan H M, Zi Y C. 2021. Characteristics of the subseasonal-scale zonal movement of Subtropical High in summer and its relationship with precipitation in southwest China (in Chinese with English abstract). Chin J Atmos Sci, 45: 1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan H, Sun L, Oppo D W, Wang Y, Liu Z, Xie Z, Liu X, Cheng W. 2011. South China Sea hydrological changes and Pacific Walker Circulation variations over the last millennium. Nat Commun, 2: 293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan H, Wei W, Soon W, An Z, Zhou W, Liu Z, Wang Y, Carter R M. 2015. Dynamics of the intertropical convergence zone over the western Pacific during the Little Ice Age. Nat Geosci, 8: 315–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang J, Gong D, Wang W, Hu M, Mao R. 2012. Extreme drought event of 2009/2010 over southwestern China. Meteorol Atmos Phys, 115: 173–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ye T, Shi P J, Wang J A, Liu L Y, Fan Y D, Hu J F. 2012. China’s drought disaster risk management: Perspective of severe droughts in 2009–2010. Int J Disaster Risk Sci, 3: 84–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Cheng J, Xu R. 2016. Comparative analysis on mean amounts of precipitation and its changes during 21st century in southwest China predicted by CMIP5 multi-modes (in Chinese with English abstract). J Chengdu Univer Inform Technol, 31: 645–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Xiao J, Li J, Wang K, Lei L, Guo H. 2012. The 2010 spring drought reduced primary productivity in southwestern China. Environ Res Lett, 7: 045706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang M, He J, Wang B, Wang S, Li S, Liu W, Ma X. 2013. Extreme drought changes in Southwest China from 1960 to 2009. J Geogr Sci, 23: 3–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang P, Cheng H, Edwards R L, Chen F, Wang Y, Yang X, Liu J, Tan M, Wang X, Liu J, An C, Dai Z, Zhou J, Zhang D, Jia J, Jin L, Johnson K R. 2008. A test of climate, sun, and culture relationships from an 1810-year Chinese cave record. Science, 322: 940–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Li Y H, Wei L B, Liu K. 2013. Effects of South Asia High and Western Pacific Subtropical High on the summer precipitation anomalies over southwest China (in Chinese with English abstract). J Arid Meteorol, 31: 464–470

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao K, Wang Y, Edwards R L, Cheng H, Kong X, Liu D, Shao Q, Cui Y, Huang C, Ning Y, Yang X. 2020. Late Holocene monsoon precipitation changes in southern china and their linkage to northern hemisphere temperature. Quat Sci Rev, 232: 106191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X X, Ding Y H, Wang P X. 2010. Moisture transport in the Asian summer monsoon region and its relationship with summer precipitation in China. Acta Meteorol Sin, 24: 31–42

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank associate Prof. K. Zhao of Nanjing Normal University for providing the data from Wulu cave and Dongge cave, and Dr. Z.-Y. Zhang of East China University of Technology for total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and stable carbon isotope analysis. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41807429 & 41702190) and the Open Fund Project of State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, IEECAS (Grant No. SKLLQG1517).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal University, Zunyi, 563006, China

    Bin Liu & Enguo Sheng

  2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710061, China

    Bin Liu, Enguo Sheng & Jianghu Lan

  3. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Disasters Monitoring & Mechanism Simulation, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China

    Keke Yu

  4. School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Kang’en Zhou

Authors
  1. Bin Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Enguo Sheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Keke Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kang’en Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jianghu Lan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Enguo Sheng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, B., Sheng, E., Yu, K. et al. Variations in monsoon precipitation over southwest China during the last 1500 years and possible driving forces. Sci. China Earth Sci. 65, 949–965 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-021-9888-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-021-9888-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation