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Detailed Reference Information |
Rühland, K., Phadtare, N.R., Pant, R.K., Sangode, S.J. and Smol, J.P. (2006). Accelerated melting of Himalayan snow and ice triggers pronounced changes in a valley peatland from northern India. Geophysical Research Letters 33: doi: 10.1029/2006GL026704. issn: 0094-8276. |
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The Himalayan region of northern India depends on monsoon rains, together with snow and glacial melt, to supply life-sustaining water to one of the world's most densely populated areas. Here we provide high-resolution pollen and diatom evidence from a peat deposit in the Pinder Valley that shows a synchronous and abrupt ecosystem turnover toward a wetter state in the last two centuries that exceeded changes recorded over the last three millennia. Contrary to expectations, there was no relationship between recent proxy changes and summer monsoon precipitation. Strong relationships, however, were found with winter climate data. We link this recent unprecedented wetness to marked warming at higher elevations resulting in increased seasonal runoff and associated climatic feedbacks in this snow and ice-melt dominated region. In contrast to the expected desiccation and decomposition of most peat systems with warming, this site has instead become the wettest in its ca. 3500-year history. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Global Change, Abrupt/rapid climate change (4901, 8408), Global Change, Impacts of global change, Hydrology, Climate impacts, Hydrology, Precipitation, Geographic Location, Indian Ocean |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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