Hostname: page-component-76c49bb84f-zv2rg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-02T07:45:26.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Holocene Paleoclimates of India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Sushma Prasad  and
Yehouda Enzel
Sushma Prasad*
Affiliation:
Climate Dynamics and Sediments, GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, D 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Yehouda Enzel
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail addresses:sushma@gfz-potsdam.de (S. Prasad), yenzel@vms.huji.ac.il (Y. Enzel).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We present a comprehensive summary of the available palaeoclimate records from India and compare the results from different proxies. The results indicate (i) fluctuating lake levels during the early Holocene. The period of relatively higher lake levels from increased precipitation efficiency was reached only ∼7.2–6.0 cal kyr BP, possibly due to increased contribution from winter rainfall; (ii) the onset of aridity in NW India could have begun as early as ∼5.3 cal kyr BP. Subsequently, there were multiple wet events but of shorter duration and smaller magnitude than during the mid Holocene; (iii) there is evidence of several short term climate events in the proxy record. However, in the absence of a rigorous chronological framework a detailed regional correlation is not possible at this stage. Finally, a comparison between marine and terrestrial records indicates that episodes of strongest and weakest monsoon winds were not always associated with wettest and driest episodes respectively in the NW Indian lakes.

Keywords

IndiaLakesHolocenePollensDunesPalaeoclimateEventsIndus valley civilisation

Information

Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 66 , Issue 3 , November 2006 , pp. 442 - 453
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Anderson, D.M., Overpeck, J.T., and Gupta, A.K. Increase in the Asian southwest monsoon during the past four centuries. Science 297, (2002). 596–599.Google Scholar
Bond, G., Showers, W., Cheseby, M., Lotti, R., Almasi, P., DeMenocal, P., Priore, P., Cullen, H., Hajdas, I., and Bonani, G. A pervasive millennial-scale cycle in North Atlantic Holocene and glacial climates. Science 278, (1997). 1257–1266.Google Scholar
Bond, G., Kromer, B., Beer, J., Muscheler, R., Evans, M.N., Showers, W., Hoffmann, S., Lotti-Bond, R., Hajdas, I., and Bonani, G. Persistent solar influence on North Atlantic climate during the Holocene. Science 294, (2001). 2130–2135.Google Scholar
Bookman (Ken-Tor), R., Enzel, Y., Agnon, A., and Stein, M. Late Holocene lake levels of the Dead Sea. Geological Society of America Bulletin 116, (2004). 555–571.Google Scholar
Bryson, R.A., and Swain, A.M. Holocene variations in monsoon rainfall in Rajasthan. Quaternary Research 16, (1981). 135–145.Google Scholar
Caratini, C., Bentaleb, I., Fontune, M., Morzadec-Kerfourn, M.T., Pascal, J.P., and Tissot, C. A less humid climate since ca. 3500 yr BP from marine cores off Karwar, western India. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 109, 2–4 (1994). 371–384.Google Scholar
Chauhan, M.S., Mazari, R.K., and Rajagopalan, G. Vegetation and climate in upper Spiti region, Himachal Pradesh during late Holocene. Current Science 79, 3 (2000). 373–377.Google Scholar
Chawla, S., Dhir, R.P., and Singhvi, A.K. Thermoluminescence dating of sand profiles in the Thar Desert and their implications. Quaternary Science Reviews 11, (1992). 25–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
COHMAP Members Climatic changes of the last 18000 years: observations and model simulations. Science 241, (1988). 1043–1052.Google Scholar
Denniston, R.F., Asmerom, Y., Sharma, R.H., and Reagan, M.K. Speleothem evidence for changes in Indian summer monsoon precipitation over the last ∼2300 years. Quaternary Research 53, (2000). 196–2002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deotare, B.C., Kajale, M.D., Kshirsagar, A.A., and Rajaguru, S.N. Geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental studies around Bap-Malar playa, district Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Current Science 75, 3 (1998). 316–320.Google Scholar
Enzel, Y., Ely, L.L., Mishra, S., Ramesh, R., Amit, R., Lazar, B., Rajaguru, S.N., Baker, V.R., and Sandler, A. High-resolution Holocene environmental changes in the Thar Desert, northwestern India. Science 284, (1999). 125–128.Google Scholar
Enzel, Y., Ken-Tor, R., Sharon, D., Gvirtzman, H., Dayan, U., Ziv, B., and Stein, M. Late Holocene climates of the Near East deduced from Dead Sea level variations and regional winter rainfall. Quaternary Research 60, (2003). 263–273.Google Scholar
Fleitmann, D., Burns, S.J., Mudelsee, M., Neff, U., Kramers, J., Mangini, A., and Matter, A. Holocene forcing of the Indian monsoon recorded in a stalagmite from southern Oman. Science 300, (2003). 1737–1739.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., and Van Campo, E. Abrupt post-glacial climate events in West Asia and North Africa monsoon domains. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 126, (1994). 435–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasse, F., Fontes, J.Ch., Van Campo, E., and Wei, K. Holocene environmental changes in Bangong Co basin (western Tibet). Part 4: discussions and conclusions. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 120, (1996). 79–82.Google Scholar
Gazit-Yaari, N., Lazar, B., and Erez, J. Depletion factor as a paleodepth indicator. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 66, 15A (2002). A267 Suppl Google Scholar
Gupta, A.K., Anderson, D.M., and Overpeck, J.T. Abrupt changes in the Asian southwest monsoon during the Holocene and their links to the North Atlantic Ocean. Nature 421, (2003). 354–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gupta, A.K., and Anderson, D.M. Solar influence on the Indian summer monsoon during the Holocene. Geophysical Research Letters 32, (2005). L17703 Google Scholar
Juyal, N., Kar, A., Rajaguru, S.N., and Singhvi, A.K. Luminescence chronology of aeolian deposition during the late Quaternary on the southern margin of the Thar desert, India. Quaternary International 104, (2003). 87–98.Google Scholar
Kajale, M.D., and Deotare, B.C. Late Quaternary environmental studies on salt lakes in western Rajasthan, India: a summarised review. Journal of Quaternary Science 12, 5 (1997). 405–412.3.0.CO;2-N>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kar, A., Felix, C., Rajaguru, S.N., and Singhvi, A.K. Late Holocene growth and mobility of a transverse dune in the Thar Desert. Journal of Arid Environments 38, (1998). 175–185.Google Scholar
Kar, R., Ranhotra, P.S., Bhattacharyya, A., and Sekar, B. Vegetation vis-à-vis climate and glacial fluctuations of the Gangotri glacier since the last 2000 years. Current Science 82, 3 (2002). 347–351.Google Scholar
Kutzbach, J.E., and Street-Perrott, F.A. Milankovitch forcing of fluctuations in the level of tropical lakes from 18–0 kyr BP. Nature 317, (1985). 130–134.Google Scholar
Lazar, B., and Erez, J. Extreme C-13 depletions in seawater-derived brines and their implications for the past geochemical carbon cycle. Geology 18, (1990). 1191–1194.Google Scholar
Lückge, A., Doose-Rlinski, H., Khan, A.A., Schulz, H., and von Rad, U. Monsoonal variability in the northeastern Arabian Sea during the past 5000 years: geochemical evidence from laminated sediments. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 167, (2001). 273–286.Google Scholar
Naidu, P.D. Onset of an arid climate at 3.5 ka in the tropics: evidence from monsoon upwelling record. Current Science 71, 9 (1996). 715–718.Google Scholar
Neff, U., Burns, S.J., Mangini, A., Mudelsee, M., Fleitmann, D., and Matter, A. Strong coherence between solar variability and the monsoon in Oman between 9 and 6 kyr ago. Nature 411, (2001). 290–293.Google Scholar
Nigam, R., and Khare, N. Signals of the change in monsoonal precipitation at around 2,000 years BP in a sediment core off central west coast of India. Current Science 66, 3 (1994). 226–228.Google Scholar
Overpeck, J., Anderson, D., Trumbore, S., and Prell, W. The southwest Indian monsoon over the last 18000 years. Climate Dynamics 12, (1996). 213–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pant, G.B., and Rupa Kumar, K. Climates of south Asia. (1997). John Wiley and Sons, England.Google Scholar
Phadtare, N.R. Sharp increase in summer monsoon strength 4000–3500 cal yr BP in the central Himalaya of India based on pollen evidence from Alpine peat. Quaternary Research 53, (2000). 122–129.Google Scholar
Prasad, S., Kusumgar, S., and Gupta, S.K. A mid–late Holocene record of palaeoclimatic changes from Nal Sarovar—A palaeodesert margin lake in western India. Journal of Quaternary Science 12, 2 (1997). 153–159.Google Scholar
Rai, V. Facies analysis and depositional environment of Pokaran saline Rann, District Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. Journal of Geological Society of India 36, (1990). 317–322.Google Scholar
Rai, V., and Sinha, A.K. Geological evolution of Kuchaman lake, district Nagaur, Rajasthan. Journal of Geological Society of India 35, (1990). 137–142.Google Scholar
Rajagopalan, G., Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R.K., and Rajagopalan, G. Late Quaternary vegetational and climatic changes from tropical peats in southern India—An extended record up to 40,000 years BP. Current Science 73, 1 (1997). 60–63.Google Scholar
Rao, Y.P. The climate of the Indian subcontinent. Takahashi, K., Arakawa, H. World Survey of Climatology vol. 9, (1981). 67–119.Google Scholar
Roy, P.D. (2003). Mineralogical, geochemical and palaeoclimatic characterisation of the Thar desert playas, Rajasthan, (India). PhD thesis, Karlsruhe University 121, .Google Scholar
Sarnthein, M. Sand deserts during glacial maximum and climatic optimum. Nature 272, (1978). 43–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, G. The Indus Valley culture seen in the context of postglacial climatic and ecological studies in northwest India. Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Oceania 6, (1971). 177–189.Google Scholar
Singh, G., Joshi, R.D., and Singh, A.B. Stratigraphic and radiocarbon evidence for the age and development of three salt lake deposits in Rajasthan, India. Quaternary Research 2, (1972). 496–505.Google Scholar
Singh, G., Joshi, R.D., and Singh, A.B. Pollen-rain from the vegetation of northwest India. New Phytologist 72, (1973). 191–206.Google Scholar
Singh, G., Joshi, R.D., Chopra, S.K., and Singh, A.B. Late Quaternary history of vegetation and climate of the Rajasthan desert, India. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 267, (1964). 467–501.Google Scholar
Singh, G., Wasson, R.J., and Agrawal, D.P. Vegetational and seasonal climatic changes since the last full glacial in the Thar Desert, northwestern India. Reviews of Palaeobotany and Palynology 64, (1990). 351–358.Google Scholar
Singhvi, A.K., Banerjee, D., Rajaguru, S.N., and Kishan Kumar, V.S. Luminescence chronology of a fossil dune at Budha Pushkar, Thar desert: palaeoenvironmental and archaeological implications. Current Science 66, 10 (1994). 770–773.Google Scholar
Sirocko, F., Sarnthein, M., Erlenkeuser, H., Lange, H., Arnold, M., and Duplessy, J.C. Century scale events in monsoonal climate over the past 24,000 years. Nature 364, (1993). 322–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staubwasser, M., Sirocko, F., Grootes, P.M., and Erlenkeuser, H. (2002). South Asian monsoon climate change and radiocarbon in the Arabian Sea during early and middle Holocene Palaeoceanography. 17, (4), 15, (1–11).Google Scholar
Staubwasser, M., Sirocko, F., Grootes, P.M., Segl, M., (2003). Climate change at the 4.2 ka BP termination of the Indus Valley civilization and Holocene Asian monsoon variability. Geophysical Research Letters 30, (8), 7, (1–4).Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., and Braziunas, T.F. High precision radiocarbon age calibration for terrestrial and marine samples. Radiocarbon 40, (1998). 1127–1151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sukumar, R., Ramesh, R., Pant, R.K., and Rajagopalan, G. A δ 13C record of late Quaternary climate change from tropical peats in southern India. Nature 364, (1993). 703–706.Google Scholar
Sundaram, R.M., and Pareek, S. Quaternary facies and palaeoenvironment in north and east of Sambhar lake, Rajasthan. Journal of Geological Society of India 46, (1995). 385–392.Google Scholar
Swain, A.M., Kutzbach, J.E., and Hastenrath, S. Estimates of Holocene precipitation for Rajasthan, India, based on pollen and lake level data. Quaternary Research 19, (1983). 1–17.Google Scholar
Thomas, J.V., Kar, A., Kailasth, A.J., Juyal, N., Rajaguru, S.N., and Singhvi, A.K. Late Pleistocene–Holocene history of aeolian accumulation in the Thar Desert. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F. 116, (1999). 181–194.Google Scholar
Thompson, L.G., Yao, T., Davis, M.E., Henderson, K.A., Mosley-Thompson, E., Lin, P.-N., Beer, J., Synal, H.-A., Cole-Dai, J., and Bolzan, J.F. Tropical climate instability: the last Glacial cycle from a Qinghai-Tibetan ice core. Science 276, (1997). 1821–1825.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Campo, E. Monsoon fluctuations in two 20,000-yr BP oxygen-isotope/pollen records off southwest India. Quaternary Research 26, (1986). 376–388.Google Scholar
Van Campo, E., Duplessy, J.C., and Rossignol-Strick, M. Climatic conditions deduced from a 150-kyr oxygen isotope-pollen record from the Arabian Sea. Nature 296, (1982). 56–59.Google Scholar
von Rad, U., Schaaf, M., MIchels, K.H., Schulz, H., Berger, W.H., and Sirocko, F. A 5000-yr record of climate change in varved sediment from the oxygen minimum zone off Pakistan, northeastern Arabian Sea. Quaternary Research 51, (1999). 39–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wasson, R.J., Rajaguru, S.N., Misra, V.N., Agrawal, D.P., Dhir, R.P., Singhvi, A.K., and Kameswara Rao, K. Geomorphology, late Quaternary stratigraphy and palaeoclimatology of the Thar dunefield. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F. 45, (1983). 117–151.Google Scholar
Wasson, R.J., Smith, G.I., and Agrawal, D.P. Late Quaternary sediments, minerals, and inferred geochemical history of Didwana lake, Thar desert India. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 46, (1984). 345–372.Google Scholar