Precipitation reconstruction for the western Chinese Loess Plateau since 1598 CE reveals recent wetting signals

Global warming has emerged as a significant environmental challenge for humanity, particularly in climate-sensitive regions such as the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Climate changes in this region are thought to have led to an increase in extreme weather events, adversely affecting ecosystems and agricultural development. This study uses spruce tree-ring samples to reconstruct precipitation data for the western CLP (WCLP) since 1598 CE. The resulting record accounts for 49 % of the variation in instrumental precipitation from July of the previous year to June of the current year. Through this reconstruction, we document occurrences of extreme drought and wet events over the past 426 years, record significant historical drought events in WCLP, reveal climatic driving mechanisms on different timescales, and analyze recent trends of increasing precipitation. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the climatic history of the WCLP and provides scientific foundations for future climate predictions and regional sustainable development.