Hydrological fluctuations in the Tarim Basin, northwest China, over the past millennium

Reconstruction of hydrological fluctuations in arid regions has proven challenging due to a lack of reliable chronologic constraints on sparse geological archives. The aim of this study was to establish an independent record of hydrologic changes in the hyper-arid Tarim Basin, northwest China, with high spatiotemporal resolution. This paper presents comprehensive radiocarbon and tree-ring data sets of subfossilized medieval forest in the Tarim Basin compiled from geomorphological investigations of the palaeochannels of the Tarim River, the longest endorheic river in China, crossing the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert. This study describes the centennial-scale dynamics in the Tarim River flow over the past millennium, offering a robust long-term context for hydrological assessment in the extensive drylands of the Asian interior. Subsequently, we consider the role of the river-based hydrological fluctuations in connectivity of the ancient continental Silk Road networks.