Palaeo and historical flood hydrology, Indian Peninsula

Abstract The Indian Peninsula has many rivers that flow through bedrock gorges, providing excellent sites for the emplacement and preservation of late Holocene slackwater sediments and palaeostage indicators. Preliminary surveys of palaeoflood hydrology at these sites and the available historical data (since 1700) indicate considerable spatial and temporal variability of the largest flood events. There appear to be complex associations with the monsoon and with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon that will require further study as more palaeoflood records are developed at the study sites. Data available thus far indicate a modern (post-1950) epoch of very large floods that may exceed the magnitudes of events over the last millennium.