The Younger Dryas cold event in NW Himalaya based on pollen record from the Chandra Tal area in Himachal Pradesh, India

Pollen record of an AMS radiocarbon dated lacustrine sediment profile underlying the Chandra peat deposit in Himachal Pradesh, yielded signatures of the globally reported Younger Dryas (YD) cold event. This report of the YD event in NW Himalaya, substantiated by mineral magnetic variations, also records significant wet and warm conditions prior to 12,880 cal yrs BP, depicting the Ållerød interstadial preceding YD. The notable decrease in local (meadow) and regional (desert steppe) vegetation indicates major climate shift towards cold and dry conditions marking the onset of YD that intensified progressively till 11,640 cal yrs BP.