Climate variability

Glacial advances over thousands of years synchronize with climate variability, study finds

The oldest known glacial advance in Uttarakhand has been observed in the Yankti Kuti Valley in the central Himalayas, located in the far east of the state. Using its geomorphological mapping, scientists were able to identify four glaciation events that occurred over the past 52,000 MIS 3. These events were associated with decreasing magnitude that synchronizes with climate variability, the study found. .

The term MIS 3 refers to the alternation of warm and cold periods that occurred during Earth’s paleoclimate, found through oxygen isotope data reflecting temperature fluctuations. A study by a group of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Geological Sciences found that the moisture-deprived valleys of the Himalayas react sensitively to rainfall.

The study, which was published in a journal, Quaternary Science Reviews, provided a solid timeline of events during the MIS 3 period. It also highlighted the significant volume of ice that was recorded by the various glacial materials that were deposited during this period.

“Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glaciation has been associated with lower temperature and increased westerly winds and glacial advances in the Yankti Kuti Valley synchronize with climate variability,” he said. declared. LGM refers to the maximum global ice volume during the last glacial cycle.

Previously, various researchers were able to provide information about the nature of glacial movement in the central Himalayas using modern dating techniques. However, a limitation of this research is that the data on the landforms that formed during this period are even fewer due to the inaccessibility of these regions. Thus, the correlation between the Indian summer monsoon and the advance of glaciers and westerly winds in the region remains unclear.

The study results could help improve understanding of the relationship between climate and glacier dynamics in the Himalayas and help climatologists uncover how the Indian summer monsoon and westerly winds can influence development. glaciers in the central Himalayan region.