Editing Climate of India (section)

===History===
During the [[Triassic]] period of 251–199.6 [[year|Ma]], the Indian subcontinent was  the part of a vast [[supercontinent]] known as [[Pangaea]]. Despite its position within a high-latitude belt at 55–75°&nbsp;S—latitudes now occupied by parts of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]], as opposed to India's current position between 8 and 37°&nbsp;N—India likely experienced a humid temperate climate with warm and frost-free weather, though with well-defined seasons.{{Sfn|Chumakov|Zharkov|2003}} India later merged into the southern supercontinent [[Gondwana]], a process beginning some 550–500&nbsp;Ma. During the Late [[Paleozoic]], Gondwana extended from a point at or near the [[South Pole]] to near the equator, where the [[Indian craton]] (stable [[continental crust]]) was positioned, resulting in a mild climate favorable to hosting high-[[Biomass (ecology)|biomass]] [[ecosystems]]. This is underscored by India's vast coal reserves—much of it from the late Paleozoic sedimentary sequence—the fourth-largest reserves in the world.{{Sfn|CIA World Factbook}} During the [[Mesozoic]], the world, including India, was considerably warmer than today. With the coming of the [[Carboniferous]], [[global cooling]] stoked extensive [[glaciation]], which spread northwards from South Africa towards India; this cool period lasted well into the [[Permian]].{{Sfn|Grossman et al.|2002}}

[[Plate tectonics|Tectonic movement]] by the [[Indian Plate]] caused it to pass over a geologic [[hotspot (geology)|hotspot]]—the [[Réunion hotspot]]—now occupied by the volcanic island of [[Réunion]]. This resulted in a massive [[flood basalt]] event that laid down the [[Deccan Traps]] some 60–68&nbsp;Ma,{{Sfn|Sheth|2006}}{{Sfn|Iwata|Takahashi|Arai|1997}} at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period. This may have contributed to the global [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]], which caused India to experience significantly reduced [[insolation]]. Elevated atmospheric levels of sulphur gases formed [[aerosol]]s such as [[sulphur dioxide]] and [[sulphuric acid]], similar to those found in the [[atmosphere of Venus]]; these precipitated as [[acid rain]]. Elevated [[carbon dioxide]] emissions also contributed to the [[greenhouse effect]], causing [[climate change|warmer weather]] that lasted long after the atmospheric shroud of dust and aerosols had cleared. Further climatic changes 20 million years ago, long after India had crashed into the [[Laurasia]]n landmass, were severe enough to cause the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.{{Sfn|Karanth|2006}} The formation of the Himalayas resulted in blockage of frigid Central Asian air, preventing it from reaching India; this made its climate significantly warmer and more tropical in character than it would otherwise have been.{{Sfn|Wolpert|1999|p=4}}

More recently, in the [[Holocene]] epoch (4,800–6,300&nbsp;years ago), parts of what is now the Thar Desert were wet enough to support perennial lakes; researchers have proposed that this was due to much higher winter precipitation, which coincided with stronger monsoons.{{Sfn|Enzel et al.|1999}} Kashmir's erstwhile subtropical climate dramatically cooled 2.6–3.7&nbsp;Ma and experienced prolonged cold spells starting 600,000 years ago.{{Sfn|Pant|2003}}<!--<ref>{{Citation|title=Water Resources of India: Physiographic Conditions|publisher=Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India}}</ref>-->