Articles | Volume 22, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1927-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1927-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Interaction between the East Asian summer monsoon and Westerlies as shown by desert shrub-ring records from the Alxa Plateau, Northwest China
Shengchun Xiao
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Xiaomei Peng
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Aijun Ding
College of Resources and Environment, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, China
Quanyan Tian
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Yu Ren
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
Jiakang Wang
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Shengchun Xiao, Xiaomei Peng, Quanyan Tian, Aijun Ding, Jiali Xie, and Jingrong Su
Clim. Past, 20, 1687–1701, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1687-2024, 2024
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Tree rings of Qinghai spruce are a good record of regional climate change. The influence of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and westerlies on regional dry–wet climate changes is characterized by spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The most dramatic interplay between EASM and westerlies is observed in the Helan Mountains. Regional climate changes around the Changling Mountains are most influenced by EASM and around Dongda Mountain most influenced by westerlies.
Shengchun Xiao, Xiaomei Peng, Quanyan Tian, Aijun Ding, Jiali Xie, and Jingrong Su
Clim. Past, 20, 1687–1701, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1687-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Tree rings of Qinghai spruce are a good record of regional climate change. The influence of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and westerlies on regional dry–wet climate changes is characterized by spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The most dramatic interplay between EASM and westerlies is observed in the Helan Mountains. Regional climate changes around the Changling Mountains are most influenced by EASM and around Dongda Mountain most influenced by westerlies.
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Short summary
We studied climate impacts on desert change in northern China, where two wind systems meet. Using desert shrub rings, we tracked century-long moisture variations. Plant growth is mainly limited by rainfall, and wet-dry conditions vary over space and time. Changes are driven by the balance between summer monsoon rains and western dry winds, making this region key to understanding climate effects on vegetation and desertification.
We studied climate impacts on desert change in northern China, where two wind systems meet....