Throughout China over the last 30,000 years high lake levels were reached during 30,000–24,000, 22,500-20,000, and 9500-3500 yr B.P. Lake recovery after the last glacial maximum (LGM) apparently was much slower, and involved stronger regional differences, than was lake regression during the onset of the last glaciation. According to the character of lake development during the last 18,000 years, three regions and six subregions have been distinguished. In the Tibetan Plateau and alpine regions of western China the plentiful supply of meltwater may have caused lakes to recover and reach their highest levels fust after the LGM. Lake hydrology in central and northern China was directly controlled by rainfall and evaporation, and most lakes reached their highest levels between 9500 and 3500 yr B.P. In the lowlands of eastern China lake recovery was closely tied with channel aggradation and water level rise of rivers, which are associated with Holocene sea level rise and human agricultural activities. Most lakes recovered and were most extensive in the middle and late Holocene.

On the basis of data obtained from ancient Chinese chronicles, this study has established time series of southward and eastward migrations of the nomad people in the southern Mongolian grasslands and eastern central Asia from 190 B.C. to A.D. 1880 and found that there is a close relationship between climatic change and the migrations. We hypothesized that such a climate-migration relationship perhaps resulted from both livestock failure of the nomad people and crop failure of the Han Chinese during cold mid/or dry climatic periods.

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On the basis of a survey of the existing literature on unique ancient Chinese documents, a data bank of climatic calamities and anomalies during historical times for 68 regions of China has been established in numerical code. The stored climatic disaster and anomaly patterns include flood, drought, plagues of locust, hail, famine, unusually cold and warm spells, and harvests. In addition, records offloods and low water levels of the Yellow River and its major tributaries were stored under a special title. This paper provides an introduction to the data and data bank.

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