Australia, Indonesia face longer, more frequent droughts
By examining the chemical makeup of corals off Indonesia’s Sumatra island, researchers found that stronger monsoons in Asia 6,500 years ago led to greater ocean cooling in the eastern Indian Ocean, which reduced evaporation and, in turn, increased the droughts in Indonesia and Australia.
As the Earth moved further from the sun, the monsoons weakened and droughts became less frequent over the next few centuries.
