Hydroclimate change in the Garhwal Himalaya, India at 4200 yr BP coincident with the contraction of the Indus civilization.

ABSTRACT: High-resolution analysis of a 3.80 m sediment core recovered from Deoria Tal, a mid-elevation lake located at 2393 m a.s.l. in the Garhwal Himalaya, documents long-term and abrupt hydroclimate fluctuations in northern India during the mid- to late Holocene. The sediment chronology, based on ten ¹⁴C dates, indicates the core spans 5200 years. Non-destructive, radiological imaging approaches (X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray imaging, and CT scans) were used to assess the response of the lake system to changing hydroclimatic conditions. Variations in elemental concentrations and sediment density evidenced notable hydroclimate change episodes centered at 4850, 4200, and 3100 cal yr BP. Elevated detrital input, greater sediment density, decreased lake ventilation, and lower autochthon

SUBMITTER: Niederman EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8630182 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature