Tree-ring-based drought variability in northern China over the past three centuries

Droughts are the most frequent natural disaster in regions at margins of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), which pose threats to agriculture, economy, and human lives. However, limitations only approximately 60 years meteorological observations hamper our understanding characteristics mechanisms local hydroclimate. Trees growing marginal region EASM usually sensitive moisture variations have played important roles past hydroclimatic reconstructions. Here, a 303-year tree-ring-width chronology Pinus tabulaeformis from Mt. Lama, is located junction Liaoning Province Inner Mongolia, China, was used reconstruct May–August Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) EASM. The transfer function explains 48.0% (or 47.2% after adjusting for loss degrees freedom) variance over calibration period 1946 2012. A spatial correlation analysis demonstrates that PDSI reconstruction can represent variability on northernmost margin winter polar vortex area showed delayed impact precipitation following year.