Loess in China: A Good Archive of Climatic and Environmental Changes during the Quaternary

Quaternary scientists in China have significantly improved our knowledge of loes s deposition as well as our understanding of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmenta l changes over the past 2.5 million years. It is recognized that loess is o f aeolian origin with loess forming dust continuously deposited. It is also bel ieved that grainsize, magnetic susceptibility, carbon isotopes and fossil asse mblages in loess deposits are good proxy indicators of paleomonsoon climate and paleovegetation changes over the past 2.5 million years. Chinese loess is regar ded as one of the best terrestrial archives of climatic and environmental change s during the Quaternary. Further investigation of loess deposits and their recor ds of climatic and environmental change aids understanding of climate change and gives scientific backing for the project of ecological and environmental restor ation in northwest China.

Loess in China: A Good Archive of Climatic and Environmental Changes during the Quaternary

Quaternary scientists in China have significantly improved our knowledge of loess deposition as well as our understanding of paleoclimatic and paleoen- vironmental changes over the past 2.5 million years. It is recognized that loess is of aeolian origin with loess forming dust continuously deposited. It is also believed that grain-size, magnetic suscepti- bility, carbon isotopes and fossil assemblages in loess deposits are good proxy indicators of pale- omonsoon climate and paleovegetation changes over the past 2. 5 million years. Chinese loess is regard- ed as one of the best terrestrial archives of climatic and environmental changes during the Quaternary. Further investigation of loess deposits and their records of climatic and environmental change aids understanding of climate change and gives scientific backing for the project of ecological and environ- mental restoration in northwest China .