CLIMATO-DIATOMOLOGICAL RESULTS FROM BALTAL—LOWER KAREWA BEDS, KASHMIR, INDIA

The climatic record of the Kashmir valley for the past 4 million years is preserved in the Karewa sediments, having an estimated thickness of ~ 1000 m, deposited under glacio-fluvial lacustrine conditions capped by a mantle of loess. These primaeval lake sediments were diatom-analysed to infer palaeoclimatic changes in the Kashmir valley. Here we report the reconstruction of the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental set-up of a portion of the Lower Karewa sediments exposed on the left bank of the Romushi at Baltal locality. Though there are a few reports of fossil diatoms from Kashmir areas in the past, studies on fossil diatoms of exposed sediments are not available and no serious attempt was made to determine the palaeoenvironment of the valley on the basis of fossil diatoms. The main aim of this study is to reconstruct the palaeoecology on the basis of fossil diatom flora as they have distinct ecological tolerances and are useful palaeoecological indicators.