Hydrological variations in central China over the past millennium and their links to the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic oceans
2020
Abstract. Variations of precipitation, also called the Meiyu rain, in the East Asian
summer monsoon (EASM) domain during the last millennium could help enlighten
the hydrological response to future global warming. Here we present a
precisely dated and highly resolved stalagmite δ18O record from
the Yongxing Cave, central China. Our new record, combined with a previously
published one from the same cave, indicates that the Meiyu rain has changed
dramatically in association with the global temperature change. In
particular, our record shows that the Meiyu rain was weakened during
the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) but intensified during the Little Ice
Age (LIA). During the Current Warm Period (CWP), our record indicates a
similar weakening of the Meiyu rain. Furthermore, during the MCA and CWP,
our records show that the atmospheric precipitation is similarly wet in
northern China and similarly dry in central China, but relatively wet during
the CWP in southern China. This spatial discrepancy indicates a complicated
localized response of the regional precipitation to the anthropogenic
forcing. The weakened (intensified) Meiyu rain during the MCA (LIA) matches
well with the warm (cold) phases of Northern Hemisphere surface air
temperature. This Meiyu rain pattern also corresponds well to the climatic
conditions over the tropical Indo-Pacific warm pool. On the other hand, our
record shows a strong association with the North Atlantic climate as well.
The reduced (increased) Meiyu rain correlates well with positive (negative)
phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation. In addition, our record links well
to the strong (weak) Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during
the MCA (LIA) period. All abovementioned localized correspondences and
remote teleconnections on decadal to centennial timescales indicate that the
Meiyu rain was coupled closely with oceanic processes in the tropical Pacific
and North Atlantic oceans during the MCA and LIA.
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