Comparison of drought signals in tree-ring width records of juniper trees from Central and West Asia during the last four centuries

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences 2016-04, Vol.9 (4), p.1-10, Article 255
• Main Authors: Chen, Feng, Yu, Shulong, He, Qing, Zhang, Ruibo, Kobuliev, Zainalobudin V., Mamadjonov, Yunus M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Marine; Original Paper
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-015-2253-1

Comparison of climate reconstruction from different regions helps in understanding large-scale climate change. Here we compiled moisture-sensitive tree-ring width chronologies from north Tajikistan (Central Asia) and southern Jordan (West Asia) and compared drought variations over the two regions for the last four centuries. Tree-ring width chronology of Juniperus turkestanica in north Tajikistan was found to be sensitive to mean August–July Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) variations. Tree-ring width chronology of Juniperus phoenicia in southern Jordan was correlated to October–May precipitation variations. Comparison of the two tree-ring width chronologies shows similar wet/dry periods, and regional dry conditions during ad 1600–1621, 1627–1635, 1683–1697, 1731–1735, 1758–1791, 1810–1812, 1843–1862, 1871–1875, 1926–1941, and 1963–1968. Wavelet coherence analysis indicates the existence of some decadal and inter-annual cycles in the two tree-ring width chronologies. This may suggest the influences of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and solar activity on the drought variations in Central and West Asia.