Precipitation in eastern China over the past millennium varied with large-scale climate patterns

Modern precipitation variability over East China is characterized by meridional tripole and dipole structures, linked to atmosphere and ocean dynamics. Instrumental data might be influenced by anthropogenic global warming, making it unclear if the mechanisms underlying these patterns have remained constant since the pre-industrial period. This study investigates spatiotemporal precipitation variability over the past 1150 years using three high-resolution stalagmite δ¹⁸O records from southern, central, and northern China. Principal component analysis reveals that the first principal component (reflecting large-scale Asian monsoon strength) is linked to solar variability. The second and third principal components (reflecting rainfall) reveal tripole and dipole patterns persisting over the last millennium, driven by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Interactions between the monsoon, PDO, and AMO influence spatiotemporal rainfall patterns in East China.

Mengyu Wang, Chaoyong Hu, Yuhui Liu, Lianlian Li, Shucheng Xie, Kathleen Johnson