Reanalysis Data Sets Underestimate the 1928–29 Summer Precipitation Deficits During the Late‐1920s Megadrought in Northern China
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Numerous tree‐ring and historical records indicate a megadrought in the Loess Plateau (LP) of northern China during 1928–29, yet its dynamical causes remain unclear. This study reconstructs LP summer precipitation from 1901 to 2000 using multiple paleoclimate proxies to assess precipitation and reanalysis data sets. The results show that 1928 and 1929 were the driest and second‐driest years of the twentieth century, with precipitation deficits of 2.96 and 2.25 standard deviations and return periods of 160 and 40 years, respectively. Existing precipitation and reanalysis data sets failed to capture this event due to a lack of reliable observations in the Asian and Pacific regions. More reliable European meteorological data suggest that this event was primarily driven by extreme cold over northern Europe, which triggered eastward‐propagating Rossby waves, inducing high pressure over Mongolia and suppressing ascent over the LP.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2025gl115229
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Institute of Earth Environment, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Higher Education Commission, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Tongji University, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chengdu University of Information Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W4410864467