Revealing monsoonal variability of the last 2,500 years over India using sedimentological and foraminiferal proxies

Abstract

A 2-m-long, shallow-water sediment core, representing the last 2,500 years, collected from the tropical Arabian Sea from the inner shelf (22 m water depth) off Karwar (Karnataka, India) near the mouth of the Kali River, has been studied for sedimentological proxies (granulometry) and foraminiferal tracers of paleomonsoons. The results suggest a considerable decrease in the intensity of monsoons approximately around 2,000 years BP which is followed by an increase in the intensity of the precipitation around 1,000 years BP. The signals of similar climatic conditions around 2,000 years BP and around 1,000 years BP have also been recorded from other geographically distinct localities.