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Geochemical records of tectono-climatic environmental changes in 14C-dated peats from Ziro Valley of Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India

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Abstract

Geochemical proxies have been employed in this study to assess the vegetation, hydrology and atmospheric dust changes in 14C-dated, high-altitude, tropical peats of Eastern Himalaya in Ziro Valley for new insight into the region’s past tectono-environmental changes. Peat geochemistry at seven sampled locations was studied by comparing the depth profile of the ash content, molar Ca/ Mg ratio, Sr and Al (conservative lithogenic element) against the 14C-dated ages of peat sections in a sequence. The trophic status of the peat from the seven locations indicated the presence of both ombrotrophic and mineratrophic peats. The age-depth profile of peat from two locations showed that geochemical changes due to fluvial accumulation resulting in high mineral-rich ash content occurred around the time of the Last Glacial Maxima, about 25 ka ago. Atmospheric Pb deposition in the peat archives of Ziro was also assessed from the variation of Pb and Pb/Sc ratio in the depth-age plots. The δ13C values of the peat sections from the seven locations in this study ranged from -26.56 to -28.01‰ and it indicated a dominance of the C-3 plants around 42 ka.

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Acknowledgements

The present study is an outcome of the Research Project (M4CRP/NC/CHQ//2019-20/25381&31085) initiated and funded by the Geological Survey of India, Kolkata in April 2019. Firstly, the authors would like to express their gratitude to the Director General of the Geological Survey of India, Kolkata, for his permission to publish. Secondly, we owe our sincerest thanks to Dr. Manish Tiwari, Scientist-E & Incharge (Paleoceanography), for the stable isotope analysis of the peat samples at his laboratory at the National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOAR), Goa. Dr. Dipayan Guha, ex-Director, Geochronology & Isotope Geology Division is acknowledged for the initiation of this project. Mr. Brighu Shankar, our current Director, took the greatest interest in the execution of the project. This work benefitted much from the intense discussion at every step of its progress with our colleagues of the G&IG Division. We acknowledge the contribution of Mr. Nirmalya Goswami of MCSD, ER, Geological Survey of India for carrying out the TOC analysis of the peat samples. Finally, thanks are due to Mr. Rajeev Kumar Gautam for his assistance in microwave digestion, and Mr. Khara Mahato for processing the samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology & Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, 15 A & B Kyd Street, Kolkata, 700016, India

    Avijit Das & Arpita Roy Choudhury

  2. Central Chemical Laboratory, Geological Survey of India, 15 A & B Kyd Street, Kolkata, 700016, India

    Anindya Das

Authors
  1. Avijit Das
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  2. Arpita Roy Choudhury
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  3. Anindya Das
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Contributions

Conceptualization, manuscript writing, AvD; Sampling AvD and ARC; Radiocarbon dating ARC; Major and Trace metal analysis, AnD.

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Correspondence to Avijit Das.

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Responsible Editor: Attila Ciner

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Das, A., Choudhury, A.R. & Das, A. Geochemical records of tectono-climatic environmental changes in 14C-dated peats from Ziro Valley of Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Arab J Geosci 15, 285 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09560-y

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