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Dendroclimatic Reconstruction of April–May Temperature Fluctuations in the Western Himalaya of India Since A.D. 1698

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Ram R. Yadav ,
Won-Kyu Park  and
Amalava Bhattacharyya
Ram R. Yadav
Affiliation:
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, 226007, India
Won-Kyu Park
Affiliation:
School of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 361-763, Korea
Amalava Bhattacharyya
Affiliation:
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, 226007, India
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Abstract

Ring-width chronologies of Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara (D. Don.) G. Don.), Himalayan pine (Pinus wallichiana A. B. Jackson), and Himalayan spruce (Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss.) from the western Himalayan region, India, have been used to reconstruct mean April–May temperature back to A. D. 1698. The reconstruction correlates significantly with the average April–May instrumental temperature record (r= +0.62, 1876–1988) and is characterized by annual to multiyear fluctuations. The most striking feature of the present reconstruction is the absence of any warming trend in the 20th century. Relationships between the mean April–May temperature for the western Himalayan region, Indian summer monsoon rainfall, and Southern Oscillation Index indicate that the tree-ring chronologies, as surrogate temperature records, will provide valuable data for climate change studies with regional and global perspectives.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 48 , Issue 2 , September 1997 , pp. 187 - 191
Copyright
University of Washington

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