Bio-climatic imprints on a Holocene loess palaeosol from China |
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| Authors: | He Xiubin Tian Junliang Tang Keli Sun Jianzhong John A Matthews |
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| Institution: | a Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China;b Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling 712100, People's Republic of China;c Department of Hydrological Engineering. Xi'an College of Geology, Xi'an 710035, China;d Department of Geography, University of Wales Swansea., Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK |
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| Abstract: | Micromorphology, heavy minerals, pollen and soil properties were examined in a typical Holocene loess profile in the north of the Loess Plateau, consisting of a palaeosol (locally known as the Ansai palaeosol) underlain by the Malan loess and overlain by modern loess. The palaeosol consists of an upper humus-rich (AB) horizon over a clay-rich (Bt) horizon. The humus-rich horizon is intensely weathered, contains precipitated calcitic material derived from the overlying modern loess, and has both high pollen content and diversity. Clay coatings in the clay-rich horizon indicate formation by eluviation–illuviation of clay. Pedogenetic characteristics and pollen analysis imply that the vegetation during the time of most intensive soil development is likely to have been a warm-temperate forest. A complex interpretation of the loess–palaeosol sequence recognizes several development stages. The phase of soil development, maximum and minimum limiting ages for which are ca. 8800 and 4400 14C years BP, involved continuing but reduced loess deposition, and successive Holocene bio-climatic environment overprinted new features on the palaeosol. |
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| Keywords: | Author Keywords: Holocene Loess Palaeosol Environmental change Loess plateau China |
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