Yellow River 1,200 Year Streamflow Reconstruction Li, J.; Xie, S.-P.; Cook, E.R.; Chen, F.; Shi, J.; Zhang, D.D.; Fang, K.; Gou, X.; Li, T.; Peng, J.; Shi, S.; Zhao, Y. Li, J. Xie, S.-P. Cook, E.R. Chen, F. Shi, J. Zhang, D.D. Fang, K. Gou, X. Li, T. Peng, J. Shi, S. Zhao, Y. Streamflow Reconstruction earth science/paleoclimate/reconstructions (Shanxian>LATITUDE 34.8167>LONGITUDE 111.15) The Yellow River flow has decreased substantially in recent decades, and the river often dried up in the lower reach and failed to reach the sea. Climate change and human disruption have been suggested as major causes of the flow reduction, but quantification of their relative contribution is challenging due to limited instrumental records and disturbance by dams. Here we use a basin-wide tree ring network to reconstruct the Yellow River flow for the past 1,200 years and show that the flow exhibits marked amplitude variations that are closely coupled to the hydrological mean state swings at multidecadal to centennial timescales. Recent flow should have increased to the highest level of the past 1,200 years if there were no human disruption. However, human activities have caused a loss of nearly half of natural flow since the late 1960s and are the main culprit for recent downstream flow reduction. STUDY NOTES: Yellow River streamflow reconstruction at Shanxian, Henan, China, for the past 1,200 years, based on a basin-wide tree ring network. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Li, J. Investigator : Xie, S.-P. Investigator : Cook, E.R. Investigator : Chen, F. Investigator : Shi, J. Investigator : Zhang, D.D. Investigator : Fang, K. Investigator : Gou, X. Investigator : Li, T. Investigator : Peng, J. Investigator : Shi, S. Investigator : Zhao, Y. 2019-02-16 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/26230 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/asia/china/yellow2019flow.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/asia/china/yellow2019flow.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/26230 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/treering/reconstructions/asia/china/yellow2019flow.txt Jinbao Li, Shang-Ping Xie, Edward R. Cook, Fahu Chen, Jiangfeng Shi, David D. Zhang, Keyan Fang, Xiaohua Gou, Teng Li, Jianfeng Peng, Shiyuan Shi, Yesi Zhao2019Deciphering Human Contributions to Yellow River Flow Reductions and Downstream Drying Using Centuries-Long Tree Ring RecordsGeophysical Research Letters462898-90510.1029/2018GL081090https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GL081090 START YEAR: 800 AD * END YEAR: 2010 AD 111.15 34.8167 111.15 34.8167