Complex interplay of forcings drives Indian vegetation and summer monsoon variability during MIS 11

Oliveira, Dulce; Desprat, Stéphanie; Yin, Qiuzhen; Zorzi, Coralie; Wu, Zhipeng; Anupama, Krishnamurthy; Prasad, Srinivasan; Alonso-García, Montserrat; Martinez, Philippe

doi:10.5194/cp-22-1691-2026

Articles | Volume 22, issue 9

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1691-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1691-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 9

Research article

|

15 Sep 2026

Research article |

| 15 Sep 2026

Complex interplay of forcings drives Indian vegetation and summer monsoon variability during MIS 11

Dulce Oliveira, Stéphanie Desprat, Qiuzhen Yin, Coralie Zorzi, Zhipeng Wu, Krishnamurthy Anupama, Srinivasan Prasad, Montserrat Alonso-García, and Philippe Martinez

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1691-2026-supplement

Data sets

Pollen-based vegetation record from IODP Site 353-U1446 (Bay of Bengal), Marine Isotope Stage 11 Dulce Oliveira et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.982497

Short summary

We present an unprecedented record of Indian summer monsoon (ISM)-induced vegetation changes for Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, a key interglacial. Site U1446 pollen data and models show that ISM-vegetation shifts stem from an interplay of dominant forcings based on boundary conditions. Insolation is the main driver during MIS 11c interglacial conditions, akin to future scenarios, while ice volume and CO₂ prevail in the glacial inception. Superimposed changes are marked by prominent forest contractions and expansions.