Magnetic Susceptibility as a Proxy for Rainfall in the Tropics : New Data from Hirekolale Lake Sediments, Southern India

Authors

  • Shetty S. B.  Department of Marine Geology, Mangalore University, Karnataka, Mangalagangothri, India
  • Shankar R.  Department of Marine Geology, Mangalore University, Karnataka, Mangalagangothri, India
  • Weijian Z.  Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
  • Peng C.  Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China

Keywords:

Paleorainfall, Environmental magnetism, Proxy, Hirekolale, Southern India

Abstract

In this paper, we present the environmental magnetic record of a sediment core from Hirekolale (HK) Lake situated in tropical Southern India and decipher the paleorainfall conditions of the region. We determined environmental magnetic properties and inter-parametric ratios for subsamples from a 1.1 m-long sediment core. Accelerator mass spectrometer 14C dates, obtained on sedimentary organic matter, suggest that the core spans the past ~ 1250 years. The environmental magnetic data suggest the absence of greigite, biogenic and anthropogenic magnetite and of dissolution of magnetic minerals in the samples. Magnetic susceptibility is positively correlated with rainfall data for Peninsular India, All-India, Karnataka, and Chikkamagalur Station. Hence, magnetic susceptibility may be used as a proxy for rainfall in tropical regions. During the past ~ 1250 years, rainfall has varied significantly in the study area. During 1.25-0.79 cal. ka B.P., rainfall was profoundly low (= low χlf values). During 0.79-0.37 cal. ka B.P., it was relatively high (= relatively high χlf values). Rainfall was comparatively high (= significantly high χlf values) during 0.36 cal. ka B.P. to Present. Many high- and low-rainfall events documented in the HK χlf record are correlatable with similar ones in recorded in proxy climate data from different parts of India.

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International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology

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Published

2018-04-30

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Volume 4, Issue 5, March-April-2018

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[1]
Shetty S. B., Shankar R., Weijian Z., Peng C., " Magnetic Susceptibility as a Proxy for Rainfall in the Tropics : New Data from Hirekolale Lake Sediments, Southern India, International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology(IJSRST), Online ISSN : 2395-602X, Print ISSN : 2395-6011, Volume 4, Issue 5, pp.1354-1366, March-April-2018.