An unlikely set of clues helps reconstruct ancient Chinese disasters
Summary
Researchers combine paleotempestology, coastal sediment records, and Shang Dynasty oracle bone texts to reconstruct how Pacific typhoons amplified inland floods in ancient China, with El Niño–like climate shifts driving the pattern. They used an LLM-based tool called Pango-weather to model moisture transport and quantify rainfall increases inland. The study underscores relevance for modern climate resilience and proactive planning.