Modern grasslands on the Indian subcontinent, North and South America, and East Africa expanded widely during the late Miocene – earliest Pleistocene, likely in response to increasing aridity. Grasses utilizing the C4 photosynthetic pathway are more tolerant of high temperatures and dry conditions, and because they induce less C isotope fractionation than plants using the C3 pathway, the expansion of C4 grasslands can be traced through the δ13C of organic matter in soils and terrigenous marine sediments. We present a high-resolution record of the elemental and isotopic composition of bulk organic matter in the Nicobar Fan sediments from IODP Site U1480, off western Sumatra, to elucidate the timing and pace of the C3–C4 plant transition within the ∼1.5 × 106 km2 catchments of the Ganges/Brahmaputra river system, which continue to supply voluminous Himalaya-derived sediments to the Bay of Bengal. Using a multi-proxy approach to correct for the effects of marine organic matter and account for major sources of uncertainty, we recognize two phases of C4 expansion starting at ∼7.1 Ma, and at ∼3.5 Ma, with a stepwise transition at ∼2.5 Ma. These intervals appear to coincide with periods of Indian Ocean and East Asian monsoon intensification, as well as the expansion of Northern Hemisphere glaciation starting at ∼2.7 Ma. Our data from the deep sea for a multi-phased C4 expansion on the Indian subcontinent are in agreement with terrestrial data from the Indian Siwaliks.

The intensity of turbidite sedimentation over long timescales is driven by sea-level change, tectonically driven rock uplift and climatically modulated sediment delivery rates. This study focuses on understanding the effect of sea-level fluctuations and climatic variability on grain-size variations. The grain size and environmental magnetic parameters of Arabian Sea sediments have been documented using 203 samples, spanning the last 200 ka, obtained from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1457. Grain-size end-member modelling suggests that between ~200 and 130 ka there was an increase in the coarse silt fraction caused by sediment transport following reworking of the Indus Fan and development of deep-sea canyons. The sediment size and enhanced magnetic susceptibility indicate a dominant flux of terrestrial sediments. Sedimentation in the distal Indus Fan at c. 200–130 ka was driven by a drop in sea level that lowered the base level in the Indus and Narmada river systems. The low sea-stand caused incision in the Indus delta, canyons and fan area, which resulted in the transportation of coarser sediment at the drilling site. Magnetic susceptibility and other associated magnetic parameters suggest a large fraction of the sediment was supplied by the Narmada River during ~200–130 ka. Since ~130 ka, clay-dominated sedimentation is attributed to the rise in sea level due to warm and wet climate.

A 1108.6 m long core was recovered at Site U1457 located on the Indus Fan in the Laxmi Basin of the eastern Arabian Sea during IODP Expedition 355. Shipboard examinations defined five lithologic units (I to V) of the lower Paleocene to Holocene sedimentary sequence. In this study, δ13C values of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) confirm the differentiation of the lithologic units and further divide units III and IV into two subunits (1 and 2). Based on the underlying assumption that the SOM is decided primarily by a mixture of marine and terrestrial origins, δ13CSOM values at Site U1457 provide information on the terrestrial catchment conditions since late Miocene time. Low δ13CSOM values from late Miocene to late Pleistocene times are similar (c. −22.0 ‰) for the most part, reflecting a consistent contribution of terrestrial organic matter from the catchment areas characterized by dominant C3 land plants. Significantly lower δ13CSOM values (c. −24.0 ‰) in Unit III-2 (∼8 to ∼7 Ma) might be due to a greater input of C3 terrestrial organic matter. The increase in δ13CSOM values at ∼7 Ma and the appearance of high δ13CSOM values (c. −18.0 ‰) within Unit III-1 (∼7 to ∼2 Ma) indicate that C4 biomass overwhelmed the terrestrial catchment environment as a result of enhanced terrestrial aridity in the Himalayan foreland. The three-end-member simple mixing model, estimating the relative contributions of SOM from terrestrial C3 and C4 plants and marine phytoplankton, supports our interpretation of the distribution of C3 and C4 land plants in the terrestrial catchment environment.

87Sr/86Sr ratios and εNd values of detrital particles at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1456 in the Laxmi Basin of the Arabian Sea were measured to trace changes in sediment provenance over glacial–interglacial cycles. Based on the correlation of planktonic foraminiferal (Globigerinoides ruber) δ18O fluctuations with the LR04 stack of benthic foraminifera δ18O values, combined with shipboard biostratigraphic and palaeomagnetic data, the studied interval spans ∼1.2 Ma. Over the past 800 ka, 87Sr/86Sr values ranged from 0.711 to 0.726 while εNd values ranged between −12.5 and −7.3 in the detrital particles. By comparing 87Sr/86Sr ratios and εNd values of the possible sources of river sediments with our data, we found that sediments in the Laxmi Basin were influenced to various degrees by proportions of at least three sediment sources (i.e. Tapi River, Narmada River and Indus River). The Indus River might be a more important contributor to glacial sediments. Although 87Sr/86Sr ratios and εNd values varied quasi-cyclically, this pattern did not correspond precisely to the glacial–interglacial cycles. In particular, low-magnetic-susceptibility (low-MS) intervals coinciding with pelagic carbonates were characterized by low 87Sr/86Sr ratios and high εNd values, whereas high-MS intervals matching turbidite deposits showed high 87Sr/86Sr ratios and low εNd values. Thus, this study reveals that differences in the depositional processes between glacial and interglacial periods, governed by changes in sea level and monsoon activity, are an important factor in deciding 87Sr/86Sr ratios and εNd values of the detrital fraction in the Indus Fan of the Arabian Sea.