Modeling and simulation of dynamic carbonate deposition in a loess-paleosol sequence

A compartment model of dynamic deposition processes has been developed and tested in the Potou loess section of China. There are four components in the model : carbonate input of eolian dust, carbonate output of erosion, carbonate chemical equilibrium and soil water balance. A climate stochastic model software (CLIMAK) generates the daily weather data. The processes of eolian dust deposition, erosion, and pedogenesis simulate the complex process of carbonate deposition in a loess-paleosol sequence. We consider both climatic change and soil-forming factors. The results indicate that since the Late Pleistocene in Potou section, the mean carbonate fluxes from precipitation, eolian dust and erosion are 0.14g/cm~2/kg, 1.45g/cm~2/ka and 0.23g/cm~2/ka respectively. Of this, 91.2% of the carbonate input is from eolian dust.