Summer Monsoon Season Streamflow Variations in the Middle Yellow River since 1570 CE Inferred from Tree Rings of Pinus tabulaeformis

Abstract

This study investigates the potential reconstruction of summer monsoon season streamflow variations in the middle reaches of the Yellow River from tree rings in the Qinling Mountains. The regional chronology is significantly positively correlated with the July–October streamflow of the middle Yellow River from 1919 to 1949, and the derived reconstruction explains 36.4% of the actual streamflow variance during this period. High streamflows occurred during 1644–1757, 1795–1806, 1818–1833, 1882–1900, 1909–1920 and 1933–1963. Low streamflows occurred during 1570–1643, 1758–1794, 1807–1817, 1834–1868, 1921–1932 and 1964–2012. High and low streamflow intervals also correspond well to the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) intensity. Some negative correlations of our streamflow reconstruction with Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) also suggest the linkage of regional streamflow changes to the Asian summer monsoon circulation. Although climate change has some important effects on the variation in streamflow, anthropogenic activities are the primary factors mediating the flow cessation of the Yellow River, based on streamflow reconstruction.