Lake deposits of the northeastern margin of Thar Desert: Holocene(?) Palaeoclimatic implications

Abstract

The understanding of past climates, particularly Holocene climate, changes in continental settings is significant for improving the predictive capability of models used for building future climate change scenarios. Continental sedimentary systems such as lake and river basins support large agricultural communities; even the desert margins support a substantial rural population. Therefore, understanding of the responses of these systems to future climate changes on decadal, century, and millennial scales needs to be strengthened in order to determine the varying limits of land, soil, water and vegetation resource structure on the demographic structure. In this context, we document the lake/pond deposits of the northeastern margin of Thar Desert along a rainfall gradient (200-600 mm) from west to east. The potential of the lake deposits and the associated sedimentary facies for the reconstruction of post-Last Glacial Maximum climate history is discussed, and the need for developing a chronological database on this important archive of continental Holocene climate is recognized.