Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Amzad Hussain Laskar, Archna Bohra
Summary: A large part of South Asia relies on the Indian Summer Monsoon season for rainfall, which significantly impacts the socioeconomic conditions of developing countries in the region. The rise and fall of ancient civilizations in South Asia were influenced by the Indian Summer Monsoon, although this influence is not fully explored. Attempts have been made to correlate monsoon variation with the decline of civilizations, but more quantitative estimations of the impact of monsoon variability on cultural shifts are needed.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sarah M. McGrath, Steven C. Clemens, Yongsong Huang, Masanobu Yamamoto
Summary: The orbital-scale monsoon variability in India is not a direct response to northern hemisphere summer insolation, but rather reflects changes in moisture source and transport paths associated with changes in greenhouse gases and ice volume. The responses of Indian and East Asian monsoon systems at orbital scale are uncoupled and are driven by different forcings.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Yanjun Cai, Xing Cheng, Le Ma, Ruixue Mao, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Haiwei Zhang, Gang Xue, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Zhisheng An
Summary: The study investigates the monsoon precipitation in East China and its connection with the East Asian summer monsoon. Through analyzing stalagmites from Magou Cave in Central China, the research uncovers long-term trends in precipitation delta O-18 and highlights the dominance of East Asian summer monsoon intensity. The findings suggest a potential role of tropical sea surface temperature oscillations in influencing weak monsoon events.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Xiaosen Zhang, Jianbao Liu, Kathleen M. Ruhland, Xin Jia, Jane M. Reed, Yanling Li, Zhongwei Shen, Jiaju Zhao, Jie Chen, Haipeng Wang, Xin Wang, John P. Smol, Fahu Chen
Summary: Through the study of high-resolution lake sediment records from northern China, it is found that the rise of the Earth's crust has led to significant changes in lake temperatures, which corresponds to the increase in mid-Holocene warm-season temperatures in China. Combined with reliable pollen-inferred precipitation data from northern China, it can be independently verified that the East Asian thermal and summer monsoon reached their maxima synchronously during the mid-Holocene, indicating that the interaction between heat and temperature is the most probable mechanism for the East Asian summer monsoon throughout the Holocene.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bin Liu, Enguo Sheng, Jianghu Lan, Keke Yu
Summary: This study investigates the development of peatlands in the Napahai wetland in southwestern China. The results show that peat formation occurred around 13.3 thousand years ago and continued until 7.2 thousand years ago, with a weakening trend in the Middle to Late Holocene. Comparison with other monsoon intensity and related hydroclimatic records suggests a correspondence between the development of Napahai peatland and changes in Indian summer monsoon intensity and summer insolation.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yanan Cheng, Can Zhang, Yanling Li, Xiangzhong Li, Weiguo Liu, Cheng Zhao
Summary: Oxygen isotopes from lacustrine carbonate have been widely used to understand changes in monsoon rainfall and variability in the Asian monsoon region. This study evaluates the potential evaporative enrichment effect on lake water isotope compositions and finds that it has played a significant role in the Holocene. The findings highlight the importance of considering evaporation effects when studying long-term changes in terrestrial water balance.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Varsha Rawat, Suman Rawat, Priyeshu Srivastava, P. S. Negi, Muthusamy Prakasam, Bahadur Singh Kotlia
Summary: Agriculture plays a major role in the economic development of India, which relies heavily on monsoon rainfall. Climate variability has a significant impact on cultural changes in the Indian subcontinent. Ancient Indian civilizations like the Indus Valley and Vedic periods thrived during periods of increased monsoon precipitation, while later civilizations were able to adapt to climate change.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kai Cui, Yongbo Wang, Xingqi Liu, Ji Shen, Yong Wang
Summary: The sediment record from Beihai Wetland in southwestern China provides insights into the temporal variation of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) during the Holocene. The study suggests that the sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean played a significant role in modulating the strength of the ISM. Human activities were also found to have impacted the regional climate and contributed to catchment erosion in the area.
Article
Geography, Physical
Thejna Tharammal, Govindasamy Bala, Andre Paul, David Noone, Astrid Contreras-Rosales, Kaustubh Thirumalai
Summary: This study used an isotope-enabled climate model to examine the responses of water isotopes in precipitation over South Asia to orbital changes during the Holocene. The wettest period in the region was found to be 8 ka to 4 ka, with strengthened circulation, increased convection, and precipitation leading to the depletion of delta O-18(precip). In the tropical Indian monsoon region, delta O-18(precip) values are inversely correlated with local convection and precipitation, while in the East Asian Summer Monsoon region, the values are not well-correlated with local precipitation.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jerry B. Samuel, Arindam Chakraborty, Anagha Paleri
Summary: Land surface utilization in the Indian subcontinent has significant impacts on the region's monsoon rainfall. An increase in forest cover generally leads to more precipitation in India, but the relationship is not linear due to spatial heterogeneity. The consequences of land surface alterations act through evaporation, net energy input, and moist stability, with different mechanisms dominating different regions. The findings have broader implications for other forcings and scenarios.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Huanyu Sun, Xingqi Liu, Xin Mao, Weihan Jia, Ulrike Herzschuh
Summary: By examining a sediment core from Lake Qionghai on the Tibetan Plateau, the study reveals the impact of the El Nin similar to o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) variability on the centennial timescale during the Holocene. The results show a drying climate and occurrence of drought events that are consistent with enhanced ENSO activity, indicating a modulation of ISM intensity by ENSO variability. Both ISM oscillations and ENSO variability exhibit significant cyclicities, with a significant negative relationship between the two.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenqing Zhang, Mingxiang Yang, Lin Li, Rui Yin, Lili Huo
Summary: A wide-spread terrestrialization process in the Sanjiang Plain during the Holocene is reconstructed using high-resolution palynological and lithological data. The process began with the formation of a paleolake surrounded by broadleaved forests, followed by the initiation of a wetland dominated by Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Transition to a peatland occurred after the extinction of the paleolake, with alternating dry intervals and wet stages along with weakened and strengthened East Asian summer monsoon, respectively.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhenqing Zhang, Qiang Yao, Qinghai Xu, Ming Jiang, Tingchun Zhu
Summary: The study shows that the wetland evolution in the Sanjiang Plain has been significantly influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon circulation. A transition from a shallow-water lake to a wetland occurred around 4.5 ka BP, coinciding with a decline in the strength of the monsoon. The wetland development over the past 4.5 ka BP has been closely linked to variations in the East Asian summer monsoon.
Article
Geography, Physical
Mohd Amir, Debajyoti Paul, Javed N. Malik
Summary: The study reveals that ancient organic contributions in Chilika Lagoon, India, mainly came from terrestrial, macrophyte, and marine sources, with significant changes in contribution ratios over time. Proxy records show multiple intensity fluctuations of the Indian summer monsoon during the Holocene period, influenced by changes in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Cong Xie, Liangju Zhao, Christopher J. Eastoe, Xiaohong Liu, Ninglian Wang, Zihan Zhang, Xiying Dong, Hang Liu
Summary: Seasonal and interannual variations in stable isotopes of precipitation in Xi'an, Northwest China, exhibit a consistent annual cycle, with maximum values occurring in the pre-monsoon season and minimum values in the late monsoon to post-monsoon seasons. Maps of water sources and wind fields, combined with isotope data and monsoon intensity indices, suggest that moisture sources during the monsoon come from the Bay of Bengal or recycled from land surfaces, while during the pre-monsoon they come from westerly circulation passing north of the Tibetan Plateau, and during the post-monsoon, they come from recycled monsoon moisture influenced by the South Asian Summer Monsoon.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2022)