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Open paleoenvironment and dry climate in south India immediately before the Youngest Toba Tuff eruption (~75 ka) are suggested by Vondrichnus structures at the Jwalapuram locality, Jurreru valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2024

Ajab Singh Open the ORCID record for Ajab Singh [Opens in a new window]
Ajab Singh*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
*
Email address: chaudharyajab692@gmail.com
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Abstract

The Younger Toba Tuff (YTT) eruption is regarded as one of the largest of its time and possibly responsible for changing past climate and vegetation from C3 to C4 in the Indian subcontinent. A paleosol constituting a Toba pre-tephra horizon at the Jwalapuram locality, exhibits the preservation of biogenic structures identified as Vondrichnus planoglobus and Vondrichnus obovatus. This study investigated their paleoecological and paleoenvironmental significance. These structures are hard and compact, rounded to sub-rounded, spherical to sub-spherical bodies with empty chambers, surrounded by carbonate layers, and preserved in close proximity to termite pipes and nests and rhizolith structures. Their occurrence in the Jwalapuram area is significant, as the locality has been well documented as suitable for reconstruction of past climate and vegetation in light of the impact of the YTT eruption. Based on the present findings, we assume that the investigated locality would likely have an insect population and bush to scrub vegetation, indicating a dry environment immediately before the YTT eruption.

Keywords

PaleosolVondrichnusDry climateYTT eruptionQuaternary
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , First View , pp. 1 - 9
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Quaternary Research Center

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