East Asian summer monsoon precipitation variability since the last deglaciation

The lack of a precisely-dated, unequivocal climate proxy from northern China, where precipitation variability is traditionally considered as an East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) indicator, impedes our understanding of the behaviour and dynamics of the EASM. Here we present a well-dated, pollen-based, ~20-yr-resolution quantitative precipitation reconstruction (derived using a transfer function) from an alpine lake in North China, which provides for the first time a direct record of EASM evolution since 14.7 ka (ka = thousands of years before present, where the "present" is defined as the year AD 1950). Our record reveals a gradually intensifying monsoon from 14.7-7.0 ka, a maximum monsoon (30% higher…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 41130102
• MO
  Ministry of Education, India
• HE
  Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2010CB950202
• SR
  Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China

  Award: 20120211130001