image: An old Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii) tree growing on Delingha region on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. view more
Credit: Image credit: Bao Yang.
By analyzing isotopic data from the tree rings of 53 extant and relict trees from the Delingha region on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, researchers examined Asian summer monsoon variability from 4680 BCE to 2011 CE and found that around 1675 BCE, annual precipitation decreased by more than 40%, causing megadrought and forest deterioration; the findings suggest that severe aridity stemming from megadrought accelerated the dispersal of ancient civilizations from northern China, which harmed Neolithic societal development in the region, according to the authors.
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Article #21-02007: "Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years," by Bao Yang et al.
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