Why in the News?
Researchers from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, have found strong evidence that the Kashmir Valley, now cool and temperate, was once a warm, humid subtropical region.
About the Study on Fossils:
- Site of Fossil Discovery: The fossils were recovered from the Karewa sediments of the Kashmir Valley, known for preserving ancient plant remains.
- Analysis: Researchers used CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) to analyze fossil leaf shape, size, and margins to estimate past temperature and rainfall patterns.
- Coexistence Approach: It was also used, comparing fossil plants with their modern relatives to reconstruct the region’s ancient climate.
Key Findings:
- Past Climate Type: The Kashmir Valley once had a warm, humid subtropical climate, very different from the cool, Mediterranean-type climate it experiences today.
- Vegetation Evidence: Fossilized leaves showed diverse subtropical plant types no longer found in the region’s current vegetation.
- Role of Tectonic Uplift: The tectonic uplift of the Pir Panjal Range was identified as a key factor that blocked the Indian summer monsoon from entering the valley.
- Climatic Transition: This led to gradual drying of the region and a shift from subtropical forests to temperate ecosystems.
- Impact of Mountain-Building: The study shows that mountain-building (tectonic uplift) can directly affect climate patterns by altering monsoon routes.
- Relevance to Climate Change: The findings provide insight into natural climate shifts over millions of years, helping contextualize modern climate change.
- Ecological Vulnerability: It also highlights the fragility of mountain ecosystems like the Himalayas, which are vulnerable to both natural and human-induced environmental changes.
Back2Basics:
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| [UPSC 2025] Which of the following are the evidence of the phenomenon of continental drift?
I. The belt of ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa. II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side. III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts in six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere. Options: (a) I and III only (b) I and II only (c) I, II and III * (d) II and III only |
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