Indian monsoon variability during the last 46 kyr: isotopic records of planktic foraminifera from southwestern Bay of Bengal

P. K. Gautam, A. C. Narayana, P. Kiran Kumar, P. G. Bhavani, M. G. Yadava, A. J.T. Jull

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Indian monsoon carries large amounts of freshwater to the northern Indian Ocean and modulates the upper ocean structure in terms of upwelling and productivity. Freshwater-induced stratification in the upper ocean of the Bay of Bengal is linked to the changes in the Indian monsoon. In this study, we test the usefulness of δ18O and δ13C variability records for Globigerina bulloides and Orbulina universa to infer Indian monsoon variability from a sediment core retrieved from the southwestern Bay of Bengal encompassing the last 46 kyr record. Results show that the northeast monsoon was dominant during the Last Glacial Maximum. Remarkable signatures are observed in the δ18O and δ13C records during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to MIS-1. Our study suggests that Indian monsoon variability is controlled by a complex of factors such as solar insolation, North Atlantic climatic shifts, and coupled ocean–atmospheric variability during the last 46 kyr.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)138-151
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Quaternary Science
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • Bay of Bengal
  • Foraminifera
  • Indian Monsoon
  • Indian Ocean
  • Late Quaternary

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Palaeontology

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