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Global change

Monsoon linkages

Nature volume 421, pages 324–325 (2003)Cite this article

An excellent sediment record from the Arabian Sea traces recent patterns in the activity of the Asian monsoon. It reveals both variability in monsoon strength and links with climatic events elsewhere.

The monsoon is the main determinant of environmental conditions over much of Asia, and so affects the most densely populated region on Earth. Differential heating of the north Indian Ocean and the northwest Pacific, and of the Asian land-mass, cause the seasonal reversal of monsoon winds. In summer, these winds blow northwards over the northern Indian Ocean, carrying huge amounts of moisture over the neighbouring land. The ensuing heavy rainfall can have devastating consequences for human life and livelihood. Conversely, agriculture in Asia depends on monsoon rains; and the seasonal upwelling of nutrient-laden subsurface waters, driven by monsoon winds, is essential to the success of coastal fisheries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats,

    Rainer Zahn

  2. the Universitat de Barcelona, GRC Geociències Marines, Departament d'Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Campus de Pedralbes, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain

    Rainer Zahn

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  1. Rainer Zahn
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Correspondence to Rainer Zahn.

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Zahn, R. Monsoon linkages. Nature 421, 324–325 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/421324a

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