Yancheva et al. reply | Nature

ABSTRACT Replying to: De’er Zhang & Longhua Lu _Nature_ 450, doi:10.1038/nature06338 (2007) Zhang and Lu1 argue that Chinese historical climate records contradict certain of our

interpretations2 based on Lake Huguang Maar sediment records. Interpreting these records as an indicator for winter monsoon winds and Chinese cave records as an indicator for summer monsoon

rainfall3, we observed2 an inverse relationship between winter and summer monsoons on a millennial timescale over the past 16,000 yr. In sediments deposited during the period of Classical

Chinese dynastic history, we found evidence for a temporal coincidence between winter monsoon strengthening and the terminations of important dynasties2. Extrapolating the inverse monsoon

relationship to these multidecadal timescales, we suggested that reduced summer rainfall contributed to dynastic terminations, including that of the Tang (ad 618–907). Zhang and Lu1

challenge the validity of the summer/winter monsoon relationship on the grounds that historical records indicate that relatively cold winters tended to be associated with relatively wet

summers over the period they considered. They argue that the Tang dynasty decline was associated with cold winters, in agreement with our findings2, but they find no evidence for rainfall

changes having contributed to the decline of the Tang. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS ANDEAN DROUGHT AND GLACIAL RETREAT TIED TO GREENLAND WARMING DURING THE LAST

GLACIAL PERIOD Article Open access 12 October 2020 COASTAL LAKE SEDIMENTS FROM ARCTIC SVALBARD SUGGEST COLDER SUMMERS ARE STORMIER Article Open access 11 November 2024 CLIMATE EXTREMES IN

SVALBARD OVER THE LAST TWO MILLENNIA ARE LINKED TO ATMOSPHERIC BLOCKING Article Open access 03 June 2024 REFERENCES * Zhang, D. E. & Lu, L. H. Anti-correlation of summer/winter monsoons?

_Nature_ 450, 10.1038/nature06338 (2007) * Yancheva, G. et al. Influence of the intertropical convergence zone on the East Asian monsoon. _Nature_ 455, 74–77 (2007) Article  ADS  Google

Scholar  * Dykoski, C. A. A high-resolution, absolute-dated Holocene and deglacial Asian monsoon record from Dongge Cave, China. _Earth Planet. Sci. Lett._ 233, 71–86 (2005) Article  ADS 

CAS  Google Scholar  * Zheng, J. et al. Precipitation variability and extreme events in eastern China during the past 1500 years. _Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci_ 17, 579–592 (2006) Article  CAS 

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_Holocene_ 13, 933–940 (2003) ADS  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, D-14473, Germany

Gergana Yancheva, Norbert R. Nowaczyk, Jens Mingram, Peter Dulski, Georg Schettler & Jörg F. W. Negendank * † Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box

9825, Beijing 100029, China , Jiaqi Liu * Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA Daniel M. Sigman * Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric

Science, University of Miami, Miami, 33149, Florida, USA Larry C. Peterson * Department of Earth Sciences, Geological Institute, ETH Zürich, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland Gerald H. Haug

Authors * Gergana Yancheva View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Norbert R. Nowaczyk View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jens Mingram View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Peter Dulski View author publications You can also search

for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Georg Schettler View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jörg F. W. Negendank View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jiaqi Liu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Daniel M. Sigman

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Larry C. Peterson View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

* Gerald H. Haug View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE

Yancheva, G., Nowaczyk, N., Mingram, J. _et al._ _Yancheva_ et al. _reply_. _Nature_ 450, E8–E9 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06339 Download citation * Published: 15 November 2007 *

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