A dataset of hydroclimate variations during the past 1000 years for Eastern China

The dataset was developed based on the dryness and wetness index at 63 sites, which was reconstructed from Chinese historical ducuments, used a five-grade category index ranging from 1 to 5 with 10%, 25%, 30%, 25%, and 10% frequency distributions, respectively, based on the May–September hydroclimatic description in the historical records. Among these categories, 1 indicates very dry conditions, revealed by long-lasting rainless conditions; 5 indicates very wet conditions, with heavy rainfall lasting several days, even up to one month, and many flooded counties; 3 indicates normal conditions, with few or no climatic disasters; and 2 and 4 are between extreme and normal, and indicate relatively dry and relatively wet conditions, respectively.

Since previous of 1470, a large number of data were missing, we used spatial (Probit model) and temproal (Markov chain) interpolation methods.The datasest covered 9 regions as the north (NC), the northwest (NW), Guanzhong Plain (GP), Shandong Island (SI), Henan–Hubei (HH), the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR), the southwest (SW), the southeast (SE), and the south (SC), based on their geographic location. Spatially, the dataset covered the scope of 22-41°N, 102-122°E.The data file includes 10 colomns: Year, and 9 regions.