Monsoonal precipitation variation in the East Asia since A.D. 1840 Tree-ring evidences from China and Korea

• Published in: Science in China. Series D, Earth sciences Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 1031 - 1039
• Main Authors: Liu, Yu, Won-Kyu, Park, Cai, Qiufang, Jung-Wook, Seo, Hyun-Sook, Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2003
• Subjects: Korea, Rep; China, People's Rep
• ISSN: 1006-9313; 1862-2801
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02959398

Three tree-ring rainfall reconstructions from China and Korea are used in this paper to investigate the East Asian summer monsoon-related precipitation variation over the past 160 years. Statistically, there is no linear correlation on a year-by-year basis between Chinese and Korean monsoon rainfall, but region-wide synchronous variation on a decadal-scale was observed. More rainfall intervals were 1860-1890, 1910-1925, and 1940-1960, and dry or even drought periods were 1890-1910, 1925-1940, and 1960-present. Reconstructions also display that the East Asian summer monsoon precipitation suddenly changed from more into less around mid-1920. These tree-ring precipitation records were also confirmed by Chinese historical dryness/wetness index and Korean historical rain gauge data.