Palaeoclimatic and sea-level fluctuations from the last deglaciation to late Holocene from western India: Evidence from multiproxy studies

A sediment core from a palaeochannel distributary of the Saraswati River basin in western India was investigated through a multi-proxy study using palynology, phytoliths, sedimentology, geochemistry, magnetic mineralogy and chronology. The site is located at the eastern margin of the Little Rann of Kachchh in the northwestern part of the Gujarat Alluvial Plains. The goal was to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and sea level flucutations spanning from the last deglaciation to the late Holocene in the area. The core records suggest at least four episodes of marginal marine environment between the last deglaciation and the late Holocene. The first phase of sediment deposition under marine influence was observed post LGM. The signatures of coeval dry climatic conditions of Older Dryas and Younger Dryas periods besides warm and humid conditions of B & oslash;lling-& Aring;ller & oslash;d period are reflected in the core records. The second phase of rise in sea level occurred between -11,210 and -9795 cal yr BP, which falls within the period of high gradient of sea-level rise of western India. The third phase of global sea level rise in the area is at around -5747 cal yr BP which coincides with a high sea level phase along the west coast of India. The final recurrence of sediments with predominant marine signatures post -2650 +/- 180 cal yr BP until -1530 +/- 350 cal yr BP suggests marine to marginal marine conditions in the area.