Kathayat_2022[81].pdf (2.98 MB)
Protracted Indian monsoon droughts of the past millennium and their societal impacts
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 04:49 authored by Vinita DamodaranVinita Damodaran, Gayatri Kathayat, Ashish Sinha, Sebastian F M Breitenbach, Liancheng Tan, Christoph Spotl, Hanying Li, Xiyu Dong, Haiwei Zhang, Youfeng Ning, Robert J Allan, Lawrence R Edwards, Hai ChengSevere and long-lasting droughts represent one of the greatest potential threats to human societies in the Indian subcontinent. While historical documentary sources from the region provide vivid accounts of catastrophic drought-related famines and mass mortality events, these accounts are fragmentary, and their veracity cannot always be confirmed. In this study, we have used the oxygen isotopes in speleothems from northeast India to reconstruct a history of Indian summer monsoon droughts over the past millennium with an unprecedented dating accuracy comparable in precision to historical records. Our reconstructed summer monsoon drought history is in striking synchrony with the historical evidence and provides important context against which the key geopolitical and societal changes and their links to climate can be assessed.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesISSN
1091-6490Publisher
National Academy of SciencesExternal DOI
Issue
39Volume
119Page range
e2207487119 1-9Department affiliated with
- History Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Centre for World Environmental History Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-09-26First Open Access (FOA) Date
2023-03-20First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-09-26Usage metrics
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