Drastic Climate Change in China 4,200 Years Ago Created the Hunshadake Sandy Lands

Studying past climate conditions can tell researchers quite a bit about what we might expect in the future. Now, for the first time, scientists have used a new dating technique to show that a drastic climate change occurred in northern China 4,200 years ago.

In this case, the researchers used a new dating technique called Optically Stimulated Luminescence. This revealed the first evidence of a severe decrease in precipitation on the freshwater lake system in China's Hunshandake Sandy Lands.

More specifically, the researchers investigated sediment sections throughout the Hunshandake and found that a sudden and irreversible shift in the monsoon system led to the abrupt drying of the Hunshandake. This shriveled vegetation and even affected people in the region. The impact of this extreme climate change led to a massive drying of the region, called desertification. It also caused China's Neolithic cultures to undergo a massive migration.

"With our unique scientific capabilities, we are able to assert with confidence that a quick change in climate drastically changed precipitation in this area, although further study needs to be conducted to understand why this change occurred," said Steve Forman, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This disruption of the water flow significantly impacted human activities in the region and limited water availability. The consequences of a rapid climatic shift on the Hunshandake herding and agricultural cultures were likely catastrophic."

The findings reveal how this drying affected populations in the past. Not only that, but this abrupt climate change still impacts people today. The Hunshandake remains arid and even with massive rehabilitation efforts will unlikely regrow dense vegetation.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).