In the present context of global warming due to climate change and climate variability a firm understanding of what has happened in the past is of paramount importance to asses futuristic trend of climate in a better way helping modelers, policy planners and economist for advance preparedness for any climate linked calamity ahead. As a sequel to the SIBER and GEOTRACES programme a number of proxies are expected to be utilized for the purpose of palaeoclimatic reconstruction from different geographic regions and at varying time scale ranging from last 10,000 years BP to Quaternary period and beyond. It is therefore proposed to induct new science component namely Paleoclimatic reconstructions using various proxies. In order to bring out a comprehensive and inclusive science component with regard to palaeoclimatic reconstructions a number of approaches / data / proxies shall be applied

In view of the above, it is proposed to initiate new science component namely palaeoclimatic reconstructions studies using various proxies at an estimated total cost of ` 95.00 croresinvolving institutions across the country having expertise in palaeoclimatic reconstructions through various research projects. The year-wise phasing of projected estimates is given below.

(a) Objectives

Several Institutions and Scientists in India have actively pursued studies on the past monsoon (palaeomonsoon) variability during the Quaternary. However most of these efforts are on a sub critical level with limitations of data density, data quality, proxy validation and chronology. However, a recent synthesis clearly indicates that a direct comparison of different dataset is non-trivial on account of difficulties with chronologies and proper understanding of proxy responses. Furthermore, so far, in general landforms have so far been correlated to climate without a proper elucidation of the sediment production, transport and preservation aspects. These imply lags in their response times that are dependent on sites and parameters controlling the sedimentation. Thus, the need to create a securely dated and properly calibrated database cannot be over emphasized as only this can provide an estimate of the natural variability of the Indian climate system that is needed both for policy formulation and regional developmental scenarios. The brief objectives are provided below

1. Identification of millennial scale changes in the southwest monsoon with emphasis on rainfall variability using high-resolution multi-proxy data from sedimentary archives.
2. Understanding the behavior of rainfall events i.e. the beginning and end of the wet phase.
3. Evaluation of flood chronologies (extreme events) of large rivers through time and their relation to climate.
4. Interdependence of lake and river responses of large rivers.
5. Estimation of human impact on lake and fluvial systems, and its consequence on agriculture and mining through their influence on landscape dynamics.
6. Expansion and contraction of desert and desert margins and climatic implication of archeological remains within the region.
7. Development of new palaeoenviromental tools such as calcareous tufa, molecular proxies
8. Understanding of processes and time scales of soil formation in relation to climate.

(b) Participating Institutions

1. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
2. National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research
3. Various academic / R & D institutions of the country

(c) Implementation Plan:

1. Geophysical survey with GPR and selection of core sites. Collection of undisturbed cores.
2. Generation of multi-proxy climate data using sedimentology, micropalaeontology, palynology, clay minerals and isotope geochemistry. Developmentof new proxies from varves, phytoliths, ostracods, pollens, dinoflagellates, diatoms, mineral magnetics, clay minerals, grain sizes, isotopes.
3. Study of various trace elements in the shells of various micro-fossils to derive paleotemperature equation for region specific.
4. Study of marine sediments, lake sediments riverine sediments and cryospheric samples of past ice from Himalayan and polar regions.
5. Dendrochronology
6. Study of cosmogenicnuclids (such as 10Be and other feasible nuclids)as palaeoclimatic tool
7. Chronology using accelerator mss spectrometric radiocarbon dating, 210Pb, 137Cs and luminescence dating techniques.
8. Logging and river profiling for palaeoflood analysis;Geomorphic mapping and DEM generation using satellite images and image processing.
9. Drilling and coring of lakes (to a depth of ~ 20m).
10. Sedimentology, mineralogy and stable isotope composition of carbonate and organic fractions.
11. Mineral magnetic studies.
12. Sediment provenance studies using Sm/Nd, Rb/Sr systematics

(d) Deliverables:

High-resolution subsurface stratigraphy, core raising and preparation of palaeoclimatic database on sediment characteristics, microfauna and flora, geochemistry, stable isotope, chronology, effect of shoreline shifts on human occupation in this part of the land.

(e) Budget : 95.00 crores

(Rs. In crores)