Quaternary studies provide the essential context for evaluation of what is happening with the earth's climate today, and to clarify our vulnerability to hazardous natural processes. This book covers scientific aspects of past and present climatic changes of the quaternary period focused on the Indian subcontinent via response of modern environmental conditions on climate proxies, reconstruction of paleoclimate, paleomonsoon, glacial geology, climate variabilities using dendrochronology, cave deposits including quaternary tectonics and climate change over the Himalayan region. It consists of data generated from different landforms including lakes, caves, rivers, swamps, pits, and trenches using different proxies. Aimed at researchers, graduate students, professionals in geology, geography and environmental sciences, micropaleontology, and Quaternary climate change, this book: Studies Quaternary climate using various proxies in varied environments on the Indian sub-continent Covers pertinent historical and environmental archives to understand the current climate scenario Discusses the impact of climate change on biotic and abiotic components Includes thorough review of paleoclimate change studies Devotes significant space to glacial geology and all glacial climate proxies

Holocene Climate Change and Environment presents detailed, diverse case studies from a range of environmental and geological regions on the Indian subcontinent which occupies the central part of the monsoon domain. This book examines Holocene events at different time intervals based on a new, high-resolution, multi-proxy records (pollen, spores, NPP, diatoms, grain size characteristics, total organic carbon, carbon/nitrogen ratio, stable isotopes) and other physical tools from all regions of India. It also covers new facilities in chronological study and luminescence dating, which have added a new dimension toward understanding the Holocene glacial retreats evolution of coastal landforms, landscape dynamics and human evolution. Each chapter is presented with a unified structure for ease of access and application, including an introduction, geographic details, field work and sampling techniques, methods, results and discussion. This detailed examination of such an important region provides key insights in climate modeling and global prediction systems. - Provides data and research from environmentally and geologically diverse regions across the Indian subcontinent - Presents an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, including considerations of human impacts - Features detailed case studies that include methods and data, allowing for applications related to research and global modeling

The Middle Holocene epoch (8,000 to 3,000 years ago) was a time of dramatic changes in the physical world and in human cultures. Across this span, climatic conditions changed rapidly, with cooling in the high to mid-latitudes and drying in the tropics. In many parts of the world, human groups became more complex, with early horticultural systems replaced by intensive agriculture and small-scale societies being replaced by larger, more hierarchial organizations. Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics explores the cause and effect relationship between climatic change and cultural transformations across the mid-Holocene (c. 4000 B.C.). - Explores the role of climatic change on the development of society around the world - Chapters detail diverse geographical regions - Co-written by noted archaeologists and paleoclimatologists for non-specialists

An important overview of Quaternary climates including detailed Pleistocene and Holocene sea-level changes, for researchers and graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Provides an update of results on the record of past ocean variability since the end of the ice age. This work gives an overview of many aspects of natural climate variability and give both scholars and students a means of keeping up to date on recent developments in the field.

The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization—from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper. Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the Companion presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective. Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is a much-needed resource for advanced students, instructors, scholars, and researchers in fields such as agricultural history, ancient economics, and in broader disciplines including classics, archaeology, and ancient history.

An erudite work on tectonic resurgence in Late Quaternary time of the Indian subcontinent embracing India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, Neotectonism in the Indian Subcontinent dwells on the causes and consequences of tectonic events that fashioned the landscape of a land characterized by a fragmented framework. The narratives on the structural and geomorphic developments during the morphogenic phase of the geodynamic history of the Indian subcontinent explain many phenomena. These include the tremendous height and spectacular structural-geomorphic architecture of the Himalaya, and the behaviour of wayward rivers in the sinking and rising Indo-Gangetic Plains. In addition are the shifting, deflection, piracy, and even disappearance of rivers and streams in the dry desertic terrane of western India, as well as the unique drainage pattern of the ruptured and rifted plateaus and coastal belts of Peninsular India. The formation of huge lakes due to river ponding in the stable continental shield in Karnataka is also explained. All of these phenomena are accompanied by profuse illustrations. Neotectonism in the Indian Subcontinent portrays the evolution of the extraordinary landforms and landscapes of the subcontinent, constituted by multiple terranes of contrasted lithostructural architecture and distinctive geomorphic layout—each with an altogether different geological history. It chronicles events of crustal unrest or tectonic turmoil manifested as displacement, subsidence, and uplift of the ground with bizarre drainage changes and episodic seismicity. This book caters to planners, engineers, and hazard managers, but also satisfies the curiosity of those who are interested in understanding the formation of the Indian subcontinent. - Identifies areas and belts recurrently ravaged by geological hazards resulting from neotectonic activities - Provides a wealth of information on neotectonic movements and consequent modification of landscape, drainage aberrations, and ground vulnerability, including references that also provide additional resources for those who seek to pursue comprehensive investigations - Includes much new observation and refreshing interpretation to explain many of the striking landforms of the region

With a long history and deep connection to the Earth’s resources, indigenous peoples have an intimate understanding and ability to observe the impacts linked to climate change. Traditional ecological knowledge and tribal experience play a key role in developing future scientific solutions for adaptation to the impacts. The book explores climate-related issues for indigenous communities in the United States, including loss of traditional knowledge, forests and ecosystems, food security and traditional foods, as well as water, Arctic sea ice loss, permafrost thaw and relocation. The book also highlights how tribal communities and programs are responding to the changing environments. Fifty authors from tribal communities, academia, government agencies and NGOs contributed to the book. Previously published in Climatic Change, Volume 120, Issue 3, 2013.

This open access volume is the first comprehensive assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. It comprises important scientific research on the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable mountain development and will serve as a basis for evidence-based decision-making to safeguard the environment and advance people’s well-being. The compiled content is based on the collective knowledge of over 300 leading researchers, experts and policymakers, brought together by the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) under the coordination of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). This assessment was conducted between 2013 and 2017 as the first of a series of monitoring and assessment reports, under the guidance of the HIMAP Steering Committee: Eklabya Sharma (ICIMOD), Atiq Raman (Bangladesh), Yuba Raj Khatiwada (Nepal), Linxiu Zhang (China), Surendra Pratap Singh (India), Tandong Yao (China) and David Molden (ICIMOD and Chair of the HIMAP SC). This First HKH Assessment Report consists of 16 chapters, which comprehensively assess the current state of knowledge of the HKH region, increase the understanding of various drivers of change and their impacts, address critical data gaps and develop a set of evidence-based and actionable policy solutions and recommendations. These are linked to nine mountain priorities for the mountains and people of the HKH consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. This book is a must-read for policy makers, academics and students interested in this important region and an essentially important resource for contributors to global assessments such as the IPCC reports.

Variability of the Indian summer monsoon has increased significantly since the 1950s. For several regions across India, this means an increase in long dry periods with low or no rainfall, intermittent with short, intense spells of rainfall. These changes are particularly significant for the western, central and eastern states of India where more than 55% of the cultivated area is largely rainfed and where the adaptive capacity is the lowest. The large-scale secular changes in monsoon rainfall are attributed to the increase in global emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. At the same time, local changes through urbanization, land use changes and deforestation have brought in a non-uniform response in these rainfall trends. Changes in the onset, duration and intensity of the rainfall call for a reassessment of the crop calendar and climate resilient measures for the food-water-energy sectors of the country. Global warming has also altered the relationship between sea surface temperatures and other predictors of monsoon rainfall, introducing increasing challenges and uncertainties in the monsoon forecasts. Climate projections indicate a further increase in the monsoon variability and a shortening of the rainy season in the future, though there is considerable disagreement between model simulations.