A team of Vanderbilt University earth scientists returned to an unusual cave in India to unlock secrets about climate change that could have far-reaching implications.
A team of Vanderbilt University earth scientists returned to an unusual cave in India to unlock secrets about climate change that could have far-reaching implications.
By studying the last 50 years of growth of a stalagmite from Mawmluh Cave in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, an area that experiences so much summer monsoon rainfall that it is credited as the rainiest place on Earth, they found an unexpected connection between winter (dry season) rainfall amounts in northeast India and climatic conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Winter rainfall following weak monsoon years can alleviate water stress for farmers in India. This distant link between land and ocean records could aid in predicting dry season rainfall amounts in northeast India.
Each year, monsoon rains between June and October provide water for roughly 1.5 billion people in India and beyond. Changes in monsoon strength and the timing of its onset or withdrawal can trigger either drought or flooding, with devastating consequences, highlighting the need for effective ways to predict and prepare for rainfall variations.
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Image: Vanderbilt University Ph.D. student Elli Ronay inside Mawmluh Cave. (Credit: Jessica Oster/Vanderbilt University)
