Paleoclimatic significance of mineral magnetic properties of loess sediments in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Loess deposit in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau offers an excellent record of climate and environment changes in this region.We have conducted multiparameter mineral magnetic analyses of smaples of loess deposits from the Dongchuan,Lalakou and Panzishan sections.The methods used include magnetic susceptibility,fre-quency-dependent suceptibility,temperature-dependent susceptibility,isothermal remanent magnetization acquisibility.Maghemite and hematite is also present in the loess layers and paleosol horizons.The higher concentration of maghemite in paleosols suggests that the formation of maghemite occurred during in situ pedogenesis,which plays an important role in the enhancement of the magnetic susceptibitily.Similar to that in the Chinese Loess Plateau lying to the east of the Liupan Mountains,magnetic granulometry in the studied loess and paleosols is predominantly pseudo-single-domain(PSD). However,the mean grain-size of the ferrimagnetic minerals in loess is evidently coarser (larger PSD and multiomain-like) than in paleosols (mainly PSD).The magnetic susceptibility of loess and paleosols is positively correlated with the content of ultrafine magnet-ite/maghemite grains,and hence with the intensity of in situ pedogenesis.Therefore,the enhanced magnetic susceptibility in the studied loess-paleosol sequences can be interpreted as being due to climatically induced in situ pedogenesis.     

伊犁盆地晚更新世黄土—古土壤磁化率特征

新疆伊犁河谷海拔高度不同的两个晚更新世黄土剖面磁化率特征存在显著差异:位于海拔1400 m处的库尔德能布拉黄土剖面,其磁化率特征与黄土高原黄土相同,而海拔850 m处塔勒德黄土剖面的磁化率特征则与黄土高原相反.对两个剖面黄土-古土壤磁化率特征等分析研究认为,造成两个剖面S1古土壤磁化率差异的主要原因是末次间冰期土壤发育时期前者降水量大于后者.     

中国风尘沉积环境磁学研究现状

中国黄土-古土壤-红黏土序列完整记录了7.5 Ma以来东亚季风演化历史。黄土-古土壤的低频磁化率已成为东亚夏季风演化的代用指标之一,并得到广泛的应用和全球对比。虽然古土壤磁化率增强的成土观点已得到广泛认可,但磁化率与成壤强度的相关性还不是十分清楚,磁化率应用方面仍存在问题。磁化率与成壤强度、生物化学作用和古气候关系尚在研究中。     

辽南滨海地区黄土磁化率特征及其古气候分析

通过对辽南滨海地区第四纪黄土沉积物的磁化率测量和分析,发现该区马兰黄土的磁化率值不高,反映了该区晚更新世受末次冰期影响,气候条件干冷,黄土粉尘沉积速率快,成壤作用微弱;时间更早的离石黄土磁化率值偏高,反映其成土环境较为温暖潮湿,黄土粉尘堆积速率慢,成壤作用好。磁化率曲线的波动变化反映了古气候发生多次旋回变化;黄土-古土壤序列很好的指示了干冷、暖湿气候的交替,也对应了冬季风、夏季风的交替变化。根据磁化率值对古气温和古降水量的回归计算得到古气温应介于5.85℃～13.0℃（＋1.5℃）,古降水量介于403.22mm～735mm,其标准都低于当今水平。反演辽南滨海地区中、晚更新世时期的黄土沉积环境是比较干冷的,并且经历了多次的小规模的干冷、暖湿交替变化。     

Magnetic fabric of early Quaternary loess-paleosols of Longdan Profile in Gansu Province and the reconstruction of the paleowind directions

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility （AMS） is a rapid and precise tool for determining paleowind directions. During the past several decades, AMS has been used for determining paleowind directions of Chinese loess. The AMS for a Ioess-paleosol profile in early Quaternary at Longdan in the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, northeastern fringe of Qinghai-Xizang （Tibetan） Plateau has been obtained. The primary results show that the AMS of the Longdan profile has its typical normal eolian dust deposit. The AMS is mainly controlled by magnetic foliation （F） and the shape parameter of the AMS ellipsoid is oblate. The declination of maximum susceptibility （K1） was used to determine the paleowind direction of that area in early Quaternary and it was found that the paleowind direction is biased towards NW-SE.     

The magnetic properties of Serbian loess and its environmental significance

This paper reports a loess-paleosol sequence located in the Danube River basin,Serbia,which formed at least since the latest part of the early Pleistocene,and before the paleomagnetic B/M boundary.Various magnetic parameters of the Serbian V-L1-V-S4 loess-paleosol sequence have been measured and analyzed in the Titel Loess Plateau.These parameters show a very similar magnetic behavior compared with that of the Chinese loess.There is a general positive relationship between magnetic susceptibility() and pedogenesis.The main contributors to are the magnetic grains of SP(superparamagnetic) and SD(single domain) magnetic domains,while MD(multi domain) contributes only a small percentage.The difference in between loess and paleosol mainly is caused by pedogenesis.The very fine magnetic minerals increase gradually with increasing soil development(from loess to soil),and they lead to higher.The thermomagnetic curves show thatmagnetic minerals in the loess layers are magnetite and maghemite,both providing a major contribution to.In contrast the paleosol layers mainly are composed of magnetite,with almost no or a very small amount of maghemite,as implied by a reversible thermomagnetic behavior.This indicates that pedogenic conditions during V-S3 and V-S4 strong soil development have resulted in maghemite that is no longer stable,and has been resolved or converted to other stable phase minerals.This likely indicates that soil moisture during V-S3 and V-S4 development exceeded a critical condition of maghemite stability.     

Susceptibility variations of multiple origins of loess from the Ily Basin (NW China)

The magnetic susceptibility of loess from the Ily Basin,northwestern China shows maximum values in S0 paleosols but minimum values in other paleosols,the mechanism of which has been well debated.In this work,systematic magnetic measurements were made on a representative section from Neleke county.The results show that the loess horizons(L1,L2 and L3) have multi-domain magnetite grains of aeolian origin,S0 is characterized by production of pedogenetic ultrafine-grained ferrimagnetic minerals,and the other paleosols(S1,S2,and S3) are characterized by the formation of nonferrimagnetic minerals associated with waterlogging.The correlation between the low concentration of ferrimagnets,high paramagnetic content,high magnetic coercivity remanence,fine ferrimagnetic grain size and intensified pedogenesis suggest two competing processes of pedogenetic enhancement and pedogenetic depletion in the lower paleosols.Pedogenetic depletion dominates and is responsible for the low susceptibility.Changes in magnetic grain size distribution occur during pedogenetic depletion.The susceptibility variations are of multiple origins in the loess of the Ily Basin.Pedogenetic enhancement,pedogenetic depletion,and allochthonous input of magnetic minerals should all be taken into account to explain the variations of magnetic parameters.     

An erosional hiatus in Chinese loess sequences revealed by closely spaced optical dating

1 Introduction Loess deposits in China are the thickest and most extensively distributed in the world. Investigations overthe past around one century have significantly im- proved our understanding of the origin, transportation, deposition and evolution o…     

Mineral magnetic and pedogenic studies of the paleoclimatic record of the upper part of the loess/paleosol sequence at Jiaodao

Most researchers agree that pedogenesis plays a significant role in determining the vertical distribution of magnetic susceptibility in soils and in the loess/paleosol sequences found in the People's Republic of China. Magnetic susceptibility distribution from Jiaodao on the Chinese central loess plateau matches other published magnetic susceptibility curves. Using the CBD method and a mixing model, the lithogenic and pedogenic components of magnetic susceptibility from Jiaodao were quantified. The estimated lithogenic component showed a long-term decrease with depth and had short-term periodic fluctuations in tune with the occurrence of paleosol and loess strata. The results of the mixing model suggest that interpretations based only on fluctuations in total magnetic susceptibility will be in error and that a single estimate of average lithogenic susceptibility is not an accurate basis for adjustment of the total susceptibility.     

High-resolution multi-proxy records of Asian monsoon activities from terrestrial sediments over the last 75,000 years

Our research group have investigated chronology and sedimentology of terrestrial sediments including loess-paleosols sediments over the last 75 ka at Lanzhou, northwestern China, and over the last 45ka at Tokyo, central Japan. Based on chronology of high resolution dating of ESR, TL, and IRSL and tephrochronology in these sediments, we investigated to reconstruct activities of Asian summer and winter paleomonsoons by using magnetic susceptibility, color reflectance and eolian dust concentrations over the last 75ka. Relations between standard curves of delta ~(18)O in GISP2 and color reflectance in loess-paleosol sediments of Linxia over last 140 ka shows that color reflectances are good proxy records indicating Asian summer paleomonsoon activity in time and are closely related to standard curve of delta ~(18)O in GRIP since the last interglacial. Also, relations between standard curve of delta ~(18)O in GISP2 and eolian dust concentrations over the last 75 ka at Lanzhou shows the Asian winter paleomonsoon activities have coincided with climatic changes in North Atlantic by GISP2 ice cores, and suggests that response of winter monsoon was rapid in global cooling stages, but slow in warming stage. Other results of our research in terrestrial sediments show as follows; 1) Horizons of Heinrich events from H1 to H4 in loess-paleosol sequences at Lanzhou. 2) Magnetic susceptibility and MS frequency dependent are possible to be available as proxy records for pedogenesis of tile Kanto Loam in Japan. 3) 8.2ka cooling event was recognized in Holocene loess-paleosol sequences at Lanzhou.     

Mid-Late Quaternary loess-paleosol sequence in Lantian’s Yushan,China: An environmental magnetism approach and its paleoclimatic significance

The application of rock magnetism methods to investigating the variations of magnetic minerals in the sediments is an important approach to the reestablishment of paleoclimate evolution. Thus we performed fine magnetic measurements on the loess-paleosol sequence (from L15 upwards to S5, in which L is short for Loess, S is short for Paleosol, the same hereinafter) of Yushan stratigraphic section, which is on the southeastern margin of Chinese Loess Plateau, in Lantian County of China’s Shaanxi Province, and the thickness of which is ca. 40 m. Our study shows that the primary magnetic carriers of loess and paleosol in this section are magnetite, maghemite, hematite and goethite. Thermomagnetic analyses on the samples of representative horizons show that the higher pedogenesis degree of the sediments, the smaller variations of magnetization there will be before and after heating, probably related to the pedogenic alteration of loess sediments. Analyses of several magnetic parameters show a significant discrepancy between the paleoclimatic conditions recorded in the strata from the loess unit L15 upward to the paleosol unit S5 in the study area and those recorded in the relative strata of other sections on the Chinese Loess Plateau, and those recorded in marine sediments, indicating the great impact of regional geological background. Similarly, the rapid and intensive change recorded in the segment from L15 to S9-1, and the significant difference between the paleoclimate evolutions of the two periods before and after the change (from L15 to S9-1, and from L9 to the base of S6) indicate the strong alteration of magnetic carriers in the study area as a result of the alternations of summer and winter monsoons in East Asia.     

Seven million-year iron geochemistry record from a thick eolian red clay-loess sequence in Chinese Loess Plateau and the implications for paleomonsoon evolution

Recently, the Tertiary red clay sequence underlying Pleistocene loess has attracted much attention. The remarkable progress is the recognition that the Tertiary red clay sequence is also wind-blown in origin, thus providing a good opportunity to reconstruct long-term monsoon changes. In contrast to the loess deposits, the magnetic susceptibility and the pedogenic characteristics are almost independent of each other in the red clay, thus challenging the validity of the readily measurable magnetic susceptibility in describing the monsoon history recorded by the red clay. With the objective to address the long-term East Asia summer monsoon evolution, the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios were calculated in a continuous eolian red clay-loess sequence at Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau, which has a thickness of 305 m and a basal age of 7.0 Ma. The seven million-year Fe₂O₃ ratio record from the red clay-loess sequence indicates that (ⅰ) variations of the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios of the loess can correlate generally with the alternations of the loess and paleosol horizons; (ⅱ) the East Asia summer monsoon was stronger as a whole in Neogene than that in Quaternary; (ⅲ) the strongest East Asia summer monsoon may occur between 4.0 and 4.8 Ma. The relatively small ice volume and high global temperature may be responsible for the strong summer monsoon during the early Pliocene.     

Chronology of the stratum containing the skull of the Dali Man

The field investigations of geomorphology and Quaternary sediment sequences show that the sediment stratigraphic profile containing the skull of the Homo sapiens Daliensis (Dali Man) at Tianshuigou trench, Jiefang Village (109° 44′E, 34°52′N), Dali County, Shaanxi Province, is composed of the loess-paleosol sequence, 17.3 m thick, in the upper part, and the alluvial silts, fine sands and sandy gravels interbedded, 15.4 m thick, in the lower part. There are the well developed layers L₁, S₁, L₂ and S₂ in the loess-paleosol sequence of the profile, which are comparable; to those of the Luochuan loess section on the basis of magnetic succeptibility measurements and IRSL dating of the loess samples. An alluvial gravel layer, where the skull of the Dali Man was discovered, is in 13 m beneath the bottom of paleosol S₂, implying that, the age of the Dali Man must be older than about 247 kaBP when the paleosol S₂ began to be developed. The samples of mammal animal tooth and shell fossils from the gravel layer containing the skull of the Dali Man have been dated by uranium series and ESR methods respectively. Based on the multiple dating results and the stratigraphic chronology, the age of the Dali Man, therefore, would be estimated as older than 250 kaBP and younger than 350 kaBP, and reasonably estimated as 260–300 kaBP.     

Thermally unstable maghaemite and its palaeoclimatic significance in Chinese loess

Magnetite and maghaemite are the two main contributors to magnetic susceptibility in the Chinese loess/palaeosol sequence. Due to the close similarity in physical properties, early investigators treated them together as "magnetite". Utilising the property of thermally instability of maghaemite, we have been able to separate it from magnetite in loess and palaeosol samples from the upper parts of the Xifeng and Luochuan sections on the central Chinese Loess Plateau and compare its variation with depth and horizon. Our results indicate that thermally unstable maghaemite is relatively enriched in both 1) weakly weathered loess units and 2) towards the west, the direction of dust supply, suggesting that maghaemite is at least partially (coarse grains) of detrital aeolian origin while some pedogenic maghaemite (extra fine grains) occurs in the palaeosols. The physical meaning of magnetic susceptibility, therefore, needs to be reconsidered as a synthetic indicator reflecting the palaeoenvironment for both source area and deposition area. Thermally unstable goethite is a minor magnetic component of palaeosol samples, but it may play a significant role in determining characteristic magnetic remanence of weakly weathered loess samples, especially when one applies alternating-field cleaning.     

黄土触探阻力曲线和磁化率曲线对比的环境意义

黄土环境意义的研究对全球环境变化的研究具有重要的意义。而通过研究黄土磁化率曲线又是研究黄土环境变化的一种重要方法。该文运用便携式可变能量动力触探仪,现场测试了黄土的力学性能。通过具体实例,比较分析了黄土的触探曲线和磁化率曲线,探讨了这两类曲线可比性的原因。比较结果表明,黄土触探曲线不仅能反映黄土力学强度的变化,而且比磁化率曲线更细微、更精确。黄土触探曲线和磁化率曲线的良好比较性使得可以通过研究黄土触探曲线来间接地研究黄土的气候环境变化     

Test of magnetic susceptibility and grain-size age models of loess

Ages of the stratigraphic boundary MIS1/2 and MIS3/4 of the Yuanbu loess section in Linxia are used as the basis of the nodal control age. The age of MIS1/2 and MIS3/4 are obtained from the latest international research result—the climatic events recorded in the stalagmite in the Hulu Cave in Nanjing, that MIS1/2 is 11.5 kaB.P. and MIS3/4 is 59.8 kaB.P.. The ages of the two climatic events contain three nodal age control models (Model 1: 0 kaB.P.—59.8 kaB.P.; Model 2: 0 kaB.P.—11.5 kaB.P. and 11.5 kaB.P.—59.8 kaB.P.; Model 3: 11.5 kaB.P.—59.8 kaB.P.), which are used as the nodal control age separately. The deposition times of various stratigraphic horizons are calculated by using the magnetic susceptibility age model and grain-size age model, and then compared with each other. In addition, the AMS14C age, OSL age and the ages of YD and H events are compared with the ages of the corresponding horizons calculated by the three models of nodal control ages. From the analyses of lithologic characters and climatic stages it has been found that both the magnetic susceptibility age model and the grain-size age model have some defects. Because the accurate control ages are selected as the nodal points of the glacial period or interglacial period, the stratigraphic deposition times determined by the high resolution of magnetic susceptibility age model and grain-size age model approximate to the actual ages. As for the relative accuracy of the two age models, the magnetic susceptibility age model is more accurate than the grain-size age model.     

Paleo-environmental study on the growth of magnetotactic bacteria and precipitation of magnetosomes in Chinese loess-paleosol sequences

405 samples were collected from L5-S5-L6 in consideration of obvious variations in susceptibility of the geological sections, which are section Xifeng in Gansu Province and section Duanjiapo in Shaanxi Province for study of magnetotactic bacteria (MB) and magnetosomes (MS) in Chinese loess-paleosol sequences. MB in each sample were observed by TEM after being cultured under 8-18℃, room temperature (RT), 25℃, 26℃ and 30℃ conditions. In general, MB are distributed widely in loess-paleosol sequences, fewer in loess layers with predomination of vibriod in shape. However, there are more MB in paleosol layers with morphological varieties such as roddish, vibriod and occasionally approximately coccus. The magnetosomes (MS) in MB of paleosol are usually arranged in chains along the cells. It was also found that MB growth and MS formation are associated with the environment in which MB live. It can be inferred from the distributions of MB and MS that the paleoclimates fluctuated during the formation of loess-paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau. The climate became gradually warmer but displayed more frequent fluctuations from the northwest to the southeast of the Plateau .     

S2以来下蜀黄土沉积序列磁化率记录与深海氧同位素记录的对比

对镇江下蜀黄土剖面进行了系统的磁化率测试,并同深海氧同位素记录进行了对比。结果表明,S2以来下蜀黄土磁化率记录与深海氧同位素记录存在良好的对应关系。首次在下蜀黄土记录中发现了相当于深海氧同位素5a,5b,5c,5d和5e亚阶段的波动特征;下蜀黄土S2磁化率记录则可与深海氧同位素7阶段进行细节上的详细对比。对比揭示,最近20多万年以来,下蜀黄土堆积区对全球古气候变化有着积极的响应;同时,下蜀黄土记录的古气候变化在某些阶段又具有明显的区域特征,可能反映的是全球气候变化效应与东亚古季风气候影响的叠加作用。镇江下蜀黄土剖面能获得精度较高的全球变化信息与其特定的地理位置、纬度位置和地貌条件有关。     

中亚塔吉克斯坦南部黄土剖面上下部地层磁化率明显差异原因浅析

中亚塔吉克斯坦南部的黄土序列与中国黄土高原相似, 呈现黄土?古土壤交替的特征, 前人研究发现塔吉克斯坦黄土序列中以PC3为界的下部黄土与古土壤单元磁化率明显低于上部地层, 目前对这一现象尚无合理的古气候解释。本文对中亚塔吉克斯坦南部Darai Kalon黄土剖面的典型样品进行系统的矿物磁学研究以及漫反射光谱测量, 结果表明, 从黄土序列的下部到上部, 亚铁磁性矿物的总量以及超顺磁与单畴磁性颗粒的含量均呈增长的趋势, 与此同时, 硬磁性组份(如赤铁矿或针铁矿)的含量逐渐减少, 这可能指示成壤作用强度随时间增强。赤铁矿的适宜生长条件为高温干燥环境, 因此黄土序列下部的较高赤铁矿含量可能支持气候逐渐变湿的推论, 即下部地层沉积时期气候偏干, 成壤作用较弱, 古土壤中含较少的亚铁磁性矿物, 超顺磁与单畴磁性矿物颗粒较少, 故下部地层的磁化率较低。然而, 光谱测量数据显示, 下部地层针铁矿含量高于上部地层, 由于针铁矿的适宜生长条件为湿润环境, 其含量向上逐渐降低的趋势当指示气候逐渐变干。因此, PC3以下地层的较低磁化率也可能是过于湿润的环境溶解超顺磁和单畴磁性矿物颗粒造成的。尽管高场(达2 T)等温剩磁结果显示上部地层中以赤铁矿为主的硬磁性矿物含量较少, 但上部地层红度(a*)与赤铁矿含量之间较弱的相关性指示基体效应可能对光谱测量结果产生强烈的影响, 导致对赤铁矿光谱数据的解释存在很大的不确定性。针铁矿含量与磁化率的良好负相关性的确指示从下至上气候变干的趋势, 这一趋势与该地区前人的孢粉学和地球化学研究结果一致。以上研究结果表明, 对于中亚塔吉克斯坦南部黄土?古土壤序列的磁化率乃至矿物磁学数据的古气候解释非常复杂, 在中亚黄土研究中应用基于中国黄土磁学研究的模式需要谨慎, 有必要结合多指标进行综合分析。     

Magnetic Properties of Soils of the Ljubljana Basin Chronosequence, Slovenia

Pedogenic processes can explain the trends in magnetic susceptibility and soil magnetic mineralogy of the Ljubljana Basin chronosequence. The chronosequence formed in predominantly carbonate sandy gravel outwash terraces ranging from 5 to 1800 ka. Magnetic susceptibility enhancement can be attributed to the formation of secondary superparamagnetic (SP) and single domain (SD) ferrimagnetic minerals in eluvial horizons. Magnetic minerals that form in illuvial horizons are predominantly antiferromagnetic. Downward migration of pedogenic iron compounds with clay (formation of ferri-argillans) causes thickening of the enhanced zone with soil age. In contrast to other published soil chronosequence studies, magnetic susceptibility values do not increase with soil-age (duration of pedogenesis). Nevertheless, frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility (FD%) and indices such as maximum eluvial magnetic susceptibility (MS) divided by minimum illuvial MS (Max. E / Min. IX_(lf) and maximum eluvial MS minus minimum illuvial MS (Max. E -Min. IX_(lf)) increase with the logarithm of soil age suggesting that the magnetic mineral transformations continue with time, but that their rate decreases. These indices are useful for comparisons, and may be useful for age correlations. Hypothesis that magnetic susceptibility enhancement and precipitation have a positive correlation seems to be valid until the precipitation exceeds the critical value of 100-150 cm/year. The critical value in different settings may depend on the temperature regime and on the yearly distribution of precipitation.