Tree-ring evidence of recent abnormal warming on the southeast Tibetan Plateau

We developed four Georgei fir (Abies georgei var. smithii) tree-ring width chronologies at the timberline in the Sygera Mts. in southeast Tibet, China. All individual standard chronologies and a regional well-replicated ring-width composite chronology (RC) show significantly positive correlations with mean summer (June-August) temperature. Herein mean summer temperature was reconstructed for southeast Tibet back to A.D. 1765 based on RC. This reconstruction successfully captures recent warming observed in the instrumental record since 1961 with the last decade being the warmest period in the past 242 years. It agrees in general with other temperature reconstructions of the Tibetan Plateau and extratropical northern hemisphere. This study allows seeing recent warming on a longer time scale in southeast Tibet.