Precessional forcing of coccolithophore assemblages in the northern Arabian Sea: Implications for monsoonal dynamics during the last 200,000 years

A schematic model is presented to show the changes in surface water stratification in the Arabian Sea driven by changing monsoon intensities over periodicities of the precessional band of Milankovitch cycles. This model is based on the variations of the two taxa groups G. oceanica and EhuxGeric together with changes in the abundance of Coccototal and F. profunda. Probably the Arabian Sea remained eutrophic at least during one season of the year despite drastic changes in the summer monsoon strength. Lower productivities during the summer monsoon were probably compensated by higher phytoplankton growth due to stronger winter monsoons.