Ž . Global and Planetary Change 28 2001 293–302 www.elsevier.comrlocatergloplacha Climatic response of Quaternary alluvial deposits in the upper ž / Kali Gandaki valley West Nepal Katrin Monecke a , Jutta Winsemann b, ) , Jorg Hanisch c ¨ a Institut fur Geophysik, ETH Zurich, No. H3b, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland ¨ ¨ ¨ b Institut fur Geologie und Palaontologie, UniÕersitat HannoÕer, Callinstr. 30, D-30167 HanoÕer, Germany ¨ ¨ ¨ c Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Postfach 510153, D-30631 HanoÕer, Germany ¨ Received 22 December 1998; received in revised form 23 June 1999; accepted 20 September 1999 Abstract Ž . The terraces at the confluence of Kali Gandaki and Miristi Khola West Nepal consist of coarse-grained deposits which are considered to be Late Pleistocene to Holocene in age. The stacking pattern of lithofacies is characterised by an alternation of fluvial and debris flow deposits. These periodic changes in sedimentation processes are attributed to climatic variations. Deposits of extended, highly mobile, braided rivers most probably developed under glacial conditions and reflect high sediment supply and high water discharge rates. Deposits of small, only moderately braided river systems evolved during a warmer climate with comparatively low sediment supply and water discharge rates. The mobilisation and redeposition of morainic material by enormous debris flows predominately occurred at the beginning of a warm period and was triggered by earthquakes, glacier lake outburst floods or strong monsoonal rain. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: climatic response; alluvial deposits; Quaternary; Kali Gandaki Valley; Nepal 1. Introduction A large part of Quaternary deposits in the intra- montane valleys of the Himalaya consists of glacial and redeposited glacial material and therefore, pro- vides much apposite information about the still un- certain Himalayan glaciation. In the present study, ) Corresponding author. E-mail address: winsemann@mbox.geowi.uni-hannover.de Ž . J. Winsemann . Quaternary terraces at the confluence of Kali Gan- daki and Miristi Khola are described. The study area is situated at the boundary of the Ž . Lower and Higher Himalayas Fig. 1 . These struc- tural units are separated by the main central thrust Ž . MCT . The uplift of the Himalaya is still continuing Ž . and Iwata 1987 supposed an average uplift rate of more than 1 mm a year for the study area since the late Middle Pleistocene. Leveling across the MCT in the Kali Gandaki Valley suggests a recent uplift of 1.2–1.5 mm of the Higher Himalaya with respect to 0921-8181r01r$ - see front matter q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Ž . PII: S0921-8181 00 00080-1