Editorial preface to special issue: Quaternary evolution, dynamics, and influence of the Afro-Asian Monsoon

The monsoon system plays a significant role in shaping the climate, ecology and environment, especially in the Asian and African regions. In this Virtual Special Issue, we address climate and environmental changes and their dynamics in the monsoon domain over Quaternary timescales. The special issue comprises 26 papers grouped into four subtopics as follows: (1) Holocene climate changes in the Afro-Asian monsoon regions on different timescales and resolution; (2) Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate changes during the last two glacial periods; (3) Ocean sedimentation and environmental changes in the monsoon domain during the Quaternary; (4) Modern cave monitoring in the monsoon domain, and its palaeoclimate implications. These publications present new marine and continental archives and provide important insights into proxy application to decipher changes in monsoon climates and the underlying mechanisms in the Afro-Asian monsoon region. The special issue will be of interest to a broad range of Quaternary scientists, and provide critical palaeoclimate constraints for understanding hydrological responses in the African-Asian monsoon region under future global warming scenarios.