Huangye Cave, China 1860 Year Oxygen Isotope Data Tan, L.; Cai, Y.; An, Z.; Edwards, R.L.; Cheng, H.; Shen, C.-C.; Zhang, H. Tan, L. Cai, Y. An, Z. Edwards, R.L. Cheng, H. Shen, C.-C. Zhang, H. Monsoon earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 18O,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,raw,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,Stalagmite HY2) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY2) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (sample identification,null,null,null,null,speleothems,null,null,C,Stalagmite HY2) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (sample identification,null,null,null,null,speleothems,null,null,C,HY1+HY2+HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 18O,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,raw,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,Stalagmite HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (sample identification,null,null,null,null,speleothems,null,null,C,Stalagmite HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY1) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY2) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (sample identification,null,null,null,null,speleothems,null,null,C,Stalagmite HY1) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 18O,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,composited|normalized,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,HY1+HY2+HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY1) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 18O,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,raw,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,Stalagmite HY1) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,speleothems,null,null,N,Stalagmite HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,speleothems,null,null,N,HY1+HY2+HY3) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (Huangye Cave>LATITUDE 33.5833>LONGITUDE 105.1167) We developed a composite oxygen isotopic record of cave calcite for the last 1860 years based on three stalagmites from the Huangye Cave in eastern Gansu Province, northern China. The d18O values reflect monsoon precipitation changes, with lower d18O values representing higher precipitation and vice versa. Three intervals of high precipitation were identified at AD 138-450, AD 730-1200, and AD 1860-1960. Two intervals of low precipitation occurred at AD 1320-1410 and AD 1530-1860. The reconstructed monsoon precipitation variations correlate well with other records further east in the eastern Yellow River Basin, suggesting synchronous precipitation changes during the late Holocene in the semi-humid region of northern China on decadal to centennial scales. Peak periods of warfare in dynastic transition times, such as at AD 391-420, AD 601-630, AD 1111-1140, AD 1351-1380, and AD 1621-1650, correspond to sharp declines in precipitation or temperature in semi-humid northern China, indicating a strong connection between climatic and societal changes. Our study suggests that climatic deterioration in semi-humid northern China has played an important role in Chinese societal evolution. STUDY NOTES: Oxygen isotope (d18O) data from three stalagmites from Huangye Cave in eastern Gansu Province, northern China, combined to construct a precisely dated, continuous d18O record for the last 1860 years. To generate the composite record for the last 1860 years from the three stalagmites, we adjusted the d18O offsets to the HY2 (0.2 per mil) and HY3 (1.1 per mil) records on the level of HY1. The HY1 record and the adjusted HY2 and HY3 records were then combined to construct a new record. The new record was composed of: (i) the HY3 record from AD 1308 to the present (adjusted to the level of HY1), (ii) the original HY1 record between AD 760 and 1305, and (iii) the HY2 record between AD 138 and 754 (adjusted to the level of HY1). Finally, the new record was normalized and a composite Huangye d18OR record was generated. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Tan, L. Investigator : Cai, Y. Investigator : An, Z. Investigator : Edwards, R.L. Investigator : Cheng, H. Investigator : Shen, C.-C. Investigator : Zhang, H. 2011-06-02 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/11177 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.xls English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/11177 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/china/huangye2011.xls Tan, L., Y. Cai, Z. An, R.L. Edwards, H. Cheng, C.-C. Shen, and H. Zhang. 2011 . Centennial- to decadal-scale monsoon precipitation variability in the semi-humid region, northern China during the last 1860 years: Records from stalagmites in Huangye Cave. The Holocene, Vol. 21(2), 287-296. DOI: 10.1177/0959683610378880 START YEAR: 138 AD * END YEAR: 1982 AD 105.1167 33.5833 105.1167 33.5833