@article{PrasadMishraMenzeletal.2016, author = {Prasad, Sushma and Mishra, Praveen Kumar and Menzel, Philip and Gaye, Birgit and Jehangir, Arshid and Yousuf, Abdul R.}, title = {Testing the validity of productivity proxy indicators in high altitude Tso Moriri Lake, NW Himalaya (India)}, series = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, volume = {449}, journal = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0031-0182}, doi = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.02.027}, pages = {421 -- 430}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We use multiple proxies (delta C-13(org), delta N-15(org), C/N, amino acids, biogenic silica) from the catchment, lake surface and core sediments to (i) identify the factors influencing conventional lacustrine primary productivity (LPP) indicators (isotopic covariance, C/N) in the sediments from the pristine high altitude Tso Moriri Lake during the late Quaternary, (ii) compare C/N and bulk organic isotopic data from the core with available biogenic silica and amino acid data to test the applicability of conventional LPP indicators during the late Quaternary, and (iii) evaluate the degree of sensitivity of LPP to climate change. Our results show that climate driven changes in water salinity and source water changes have influenced the isotopic (delta C-13, delta N-15) content of the lake water and hence the isotopic composition of bulk organic matter. Erosion has also played a role in masking the LPP as the catchment sediments from this high altitude lake have low C/N thereby casting doubt on the effectiveness of this parameter as an LPP indicator. Independent LPP indicators in Tso Moriri sediments clearly indicate that it is driven by climate change and increases during warmer periods. However, our data show that the LPP in recent times is not much higher than during the early Holocene, ruling out any impact of recent warming on LPP and therefore the possibility of large carbon sequestration in high altitude oligotrophic lakes. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{MishraPrasadJehangiretal.2018, author = {Mishra, Praveen Kumar and Prasad, Sushma and Jehangir, Arshid and Anoop, Ambili and Yousuf, Abdul R. and Gaye, Birgit}, title = {Investigating the role of meltwater versus precipitation seasonality in abrupt lake-level rise in the high-altitude Tso Moriri Lake (India)}, series = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, volume = {493}, journal = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0031-0182}, doi = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.026}, pages = {20 -- 29}, year = {2018}, abstract = {We present late Quaternary lake level reconstruction from the high altitude Tso Moriri Lake (NW Indian Himalaya) using a combination of new and published data from shallow and deep water cores, and catchment geomorphology. Our reconstruction indicates two dramatic lake level increases - a late glacial (ca. 16.4-12.6 cal kyr B.P.) rise of 65 m, and a 47 m rise during the early Holocene wet phase (ca. 11.2-8.5 cal kyr B.P.) which are separated by the Younger Dryas (YD) event. We decouple the role of precipitation seasonality and snow melt using a combination of proxies sensitive to the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), and a regional spatio-temporal transect that provides information on the eastward penetration of the winter westerlies. A comparison of shallow and deep water cores shows that (i) the first lake level increase (similar to 65 m, ca. 16.4-12.6 cal kyr B.P.) is caused by melt water inflow triggered by the increasing summer insolation; (ii) the second lake level increase (similar to 47 m, 11.2-8.5 cal kyr B.P.) is largely caused by a rise in annual precipitation coupled with reduced summer evaporation; (iii) in contrast to the onset of ISM (Bay of Bengal branch) at ca. 14.7 ka in lower elevations in NE India, the hydroclimatic influence of ISM in the high altitude Himalaya is seen only between 12.7 and 12 cal kyr B.P., though the influence of solar insolation (via increased snowmelt) is visible from 16.4 cal kyr B.P. onwards; (iv) the eastward penetration of westerlies in Indian Himalayas is strongly influenced by the strength of the Siberian High.}, language = {en} } @article{MishraPrasadAnoopetal.2015, author = {Mishra, Praveen Kumar and Prasad, Sushma and Anoop, A. and Plessen, Birgit and Jehangir, Arshid and Gaye, Birgit and Menzel, Philip and Weise, Stephan M. and Yousuf, Abdul R.}, title = {Carbonate isotopes from high altitude Tso Moriri Lake (NW Himalayas) provide clues to late glacial and Holocene moisture source and atmospheric circulation changes}, series = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, volume = {425}, journal = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0031-0182}, doi = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.02.031}, pages = {76 -- 83}, year = {2015}, abstract = {High resolution isotopic (delta O-18 and delta C-13) investigations on endogenic carbonates (calcite/aragonite) from Tso Moriri Lake, NW Himalaya show dramatic fluctuations during the late glacial and the early Holocene, and a persistent enrichment trend during the late Holocene. Changes in this lake are largely governed by the [input (meltwater + monsoon precipitation)/evaporationj (WE) ratio, also reflected in changes in the carbonate mineralogy with aragonite being formed during periods of lowest I/E. Using new isotopic data on endogenic carbonates in combination with the available data on geochemistry, mineralogy, and reconstructed mean annual precipitation, we demonstrate that the late glacial and early Holocene carbonate delta O-18 variability resulted from fluctuating Indian summer monsoon (ISM) precipitation in NW Himalaya. This region experienced increasing ISM precipitation between ca. 13.1 and 11.7 cal ka and highest ISM precipitation during the early Holocene (11.2-8.5 cal ka). However, during the late Holocene, evaporation was the dominant control on the carbonate delta O-18. Regional comparison of reconstructed hydrological changes from Tso Moriri Lake with other archives from the Asian summer monsoon and westerlies domain shows that the intensified westerly influence that resulted in higher lake levels (after 8 cal ka) in central Asia was not strongly felt in NW Himalaya. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} }