HK_multiproxy_Dataset

This research from Central Ganga Plain, indicates that fluctuations in lake levels and sediment characteristics over the past ~6,350 years are directly related to changes in precipitation and monsoon activity, which can be reconstructed through physical and geochemical proxies. The core premise of this study is that precipitation patterns, particularly the intensity of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), have been the primary driver of lake-level fluctuations and sediment deposition changes in the Central Ganga Plain since the aforementioned time. For this analysis, Sediment samples were collected by excavating a ~91 cm trench from the Karela lake's periphery, where a total of 70 samples were retrieved at regular intervals along the trench profile. A multi-proxy approach was employed to achieve the study’s objective, incorporating sediment characteristics (including grain-size analysis and end-member modeling), mineral magnetism, CHNS analysis, and AMS radiocarbon dating for chronology. The findings highlight finer end-members in the silt domain (EM1, EM2) that reflect higher surface runoff and increased precipitation, corresponding to periods of intensified ISM. While coarser end-members in the fine sand domain (EM3, EM4) mark dry intervals coinciding with periods of droughts and monsoon minima in the Kanwar Lake record from the Central Ganga Plain (Phartiyal et al., 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108760), and reduced upwelling record of the Arabian Sea (Gupta et al., 2003; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01340). The study’s chronological framework establishes links between regional lake-level records, ISM changes, and global Holocene climatic events. Grain-size and magnetic proxies, coupled with radiocarbon dating, form robust method for interpreting past monsoonal dynamics. Ultimately, this dataset provides a high-resolution window into Late Holocene climatic variability, demonstrating direct regional impacts of monsoon fluctuations and offering a framework for future paleoclimatic research in the region.