Assessing the hydroclimate changes in Western Himalayas during the Little Ice Age

Abstract

The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of most recent glacial advancement and had pronounced cooling effect in the North Atlantic region. Synchronous hydroclimate changes are also reported from the Himalayas, however owing to the heterogeneity within the proxy reconstructions, their relationship with LIA cooling is unclear. Varied topography, huge glacial mass, and multiple moisture sources (both from the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and the Westerlies) makes understanding of the impact of LIA cooling on this region ambiguous. In this study, we review and assess the existing paleoclimatic proxy records for a comprehensive analysis of the regional response of the Western Himalayas to LIA cooling. Using the existing meteorological reanalysis data for back trajectory analysis for the last 20 years, the Western Himalayan region was classified into three different zones based on the relative percentage of moisture-bearing-wind-source contribution. The upper Western Himalayas receive most of the moisture from the Westerlies, both Middle and Lower Western Himalayas receive majority of rainfall from the ISM, with a relatively higher contribution of Westerlies in the Lower Western Himalayas. Comparison of reconstructions using Principal Component Analysis reveal consistent high moisture conditions during the LIA, with increased winter precipitation and decreased summer precipitation coherently in all the records. Spectral analysis of the available proxy records and various climate forcing for LIA cooling show similar dominant frequency, attesting that the LIA cooling drove the hydroclimate changes in the Western Himalayan region. External forcings such as decreased solar activity and increased volcanic activity caused cooling, influenced the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, and resulted in weaker summer rainfall during the LIA. Synchronous changes in the North Atlantic Oscillations and El Niño–Southern Oscillation records with precipitation records suggest a link between “monsoon breaks” and enhanced Westerly intensity and an intensified winter precipitation in this region.