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Local and Regional Indian Summer Monsoon Precipitation Dynamics During Termination II and the Last Interglacial

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Abstract

jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pTo date Indian summer monsoon (ISM) dynamics have been assessed by changes in stalagmite δjats:sup18</jats:sup>O. However, stalagmite δjats:sup18</jats:sup>O is influenced by multiple environmental factors (e.g., atmospheric moisture transport, rainfall amount at the study site, and ISM seasonality), precluding simple and clear reconstructions of rainfall amount or variability. This study aims to disentangle these environmental factors by combining δjats:sup18</jats:sup>O, δjats:sup44</jats:sup>Ca, and elemental data from a stalagmite covering Termination II and the last interglacial from Mawmluh Cave, NE India, to produce a semiquantitative reconstruction of past ISM rainfall. We interpret δjats:sup18</jats:sup>O as a mixed signal of rainfall source dynamics and rainfall amount and coupled δjats:sup44</jats:sup>Ca and X/Ca ratios as indicators of local infiltration rate and prior calcite precipitation in the karst zone. The wettest conditions in our studied interval (135 and 100 kyrs BP; BP = before present, with the present being 1950 CE) occurred during Marine Isotope Stage 5e. Our multiproxy data set suggests a likely change in seasonal distribution of Marine Isotope Stage 5e rainfall compared to the Holocene; the wet season was longer with higher‐than‐modern dry season rainfall. Using the last interglacial as an analogue for future anthropogenic warming, our data suggest a more erratic ISM behavior in a warmer world.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

speleothem, Marine Isotope Stage 5e, Termination II, seasonality, Indian summer monsoon, dry season rainfall

Journal Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0094-8276
1944-8007

Volume Title

46

Publisher

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
European Research Council (307582)
Natural Environment Research Council (NE/R013519/1)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (691037)