Funding is provided to develop a network of inter-annually resolved proxy records of precipitation from the core monsoon zone of India using the oxygen isotope composition of stalagmites from strategically located caves throughout the core monsoon zone of India. The ultimate science goal of the research is to develop a composite record of monsoon rainfall variability of the past 2,000 years as a 'paleo-equivalent' of the All India Rainfall time series. This will serve as a benchmark to assess the variability of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and to place its 20th century precipitation variability in the context of the past 2,000 years.
Additionally, monsoon proxy data sets resulting from this research will be compared to the instrumental and proxy data sets of last 2,000 years to examine variability in coupled atmosphere-ocean modes such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the El Nino- Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This research will help improve Indian monsoon predictive capabilities on inter-annual to decadal timescales.
The broader impacts involve a strong educational mentoring portion and an equally strong intellectual portion. The proposal supports undergraduate students at a primarily undergraduate-centered institution. The revised project includes support for a senior thesis. The science goal of helping to develop a better understanding of the ISM is an important scientific aim in itself but especially since the monsoon system directly and indirectly affects such a large number of people.
