Magnetism of loess-palaeosol formations in relation to soil-forming and sedimentary processes

Typical loess-palaeosol formations in the southern part of the Russian plain (Novaya Etuliya type section), in China and in Central Asia show the same pattern of magnetic susceptibility (MS) variations with enhanced signatures in soils compared to loesses. This behavior is well known to be caused by in situ forming fine grained magnetite (maghemite) of pedogenic origin. A different pattern of MS changes has been reported for Western Siberia and Alaska: high magnetic signatures in loesses and low ones in palaeosols. The highest MS values in the Belovo type section (Ob River) are connected with the sand and silt fractions and hence are due to sedimentary processes and terrigenous magnetic minerals. Low MS in palaeosols is related to gleisation. A more complex behaviour of ms changes is observed in the Precaucasus loess section at Otkaznoe. The palaeosols here show enhanced magnetic signatures whereas the loess horizons display largely variable magnetic signals due to changing detrital material influx.     

Loess—palaeosol sequence in Kashmir: Correlation of mineral magnetic stratigraphy with the marine palaeoclimatic record

In this paper we use the mineral magnetic data (χ and χ_fd) to stratigraphically correlate different loess-palaeosol profiles in Kashmir Valley. The two available thermoluminescence (TL) chronologies on the Kashmir loess profiles have been reinterpreted to identify the soil of the Last Interglacial (ca. 125 000 yr BP). We show that the mineral magnetic data correlates well with the global marine δ¹⁸O record. This correlation has revealed the well-known Milankovich periodicities of 40 ka and 20 ka in the loess-palaeosol record. On the basis of this study, we conclude that loess deposition in the Kashmir Valley started around 200 ka and not 350 ka ago as suggested by earlier workers, and that magnetic susceptibility variations provide a tool to decipher climatic changes from loess-palaeosol sequences.     

洛川黄土地层学

黄土和古土壤的磁化率与所含磁性矿物的浓度和颗粒大小密切相关。磁化率信号的主要载体是非常细的磁铁矿和(或者)磁赤铁矿。洛川黄土序列的磁化率曲线变化与成壤作用和粉尘堆积作用强弱有关,反映了气候的变化。磁化率值为识别黄土和古土壤层提供了一个工具。文中建议了黄土岩石地层单位命名的原则。洛川黄土-古土壤序列的磁化率曲线记录了最近2.5Ma气候变化的历史,与深海沉积的气候记录可以对比。     

中国黄土和阿拉斯加黄土磁化率气候记录的两种模式探讨

在中国和中欧黄土-古土壤研究中发现的磁化率与成壤作用(或古气候温湿程度)的正相关性已被第四纪科学家广泛认识,并应用于古气候研究中.成壤过程形成的亚铁磁性矿物被认为是古土壤磁化率增加的主要原因;然而,这一模式并不一定适用于其他黄土沉积地区,如阿拉斯加和西伯利亚黄土沉积显示了一个完全相反的磁化率行为,即在黄土层获高磁化率值而在古土壤层获低磁化率.这种相反的关系过去被解释为磁化率反映的是与风动力吹来的亚铁磁性矿物的含量,即与风速或风力大小有关.本研究发现阿拉斯加黄土与古土壤的磁性矿物性质有明显差异,不仅仅是粒径的大小,还有磁性矿物的种类即矿物相的差别.这一证据很难单纯以风力强度的大小来解释,意味着阿拉斯加古土壤的低磁化率至少部分是在成壤过程中亚铁磁性矿物发生改变(如溶解)而造成,表明阿拉斯加黄土和中国黄土的磁化率与古气候记录可能存在两种模式,即氧化和还原条件下的成土模式.黄土磁化率在不同的气候(温度湿度)条件下有着不同的对应关系:在低降水量、高蒸发量的干旱氧化成壤条件下,利于亚铁磁性矿物的生成,其磁化率与古气候的关系呈正相关,如中国和中亚黄土;在高纬高湿的还原成壤条件下,亚铁磁性矿物会被破坏被分解,其磁化率与古气候呈负相关关系,如阿拉斯加黄土.如果成壤条件在氧化和还原之间来回变换,那么就很难找到两者之间的联系.因此,将磁化率应用于古气候的重建时要加倍的小心.     

A magnetic investigation of a loess/paleosol sequences record in Ili area

The pedogenic ferrimagnetic minerals have been considered to be the cause of magnetic susceptibility enhancement in loess deposits distributing in the Chinese Loess Plateau and Central Europe, while “wind intensity” mechanism is proposed to be responsible for the magnetic susceptibility enhancement of loess in Alaska and Siberia. However, the magnetic enhancement mechanism is still open for loess in Ili valley, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. To understand this, we conducted a rock magnetic investigation on Axike section that is located in Ili valley. Results show that transitional stage from magnetic (χ_lf) trough to magnetic (χ_lf) peak corresponds to soil units. The PSD and MD-grained magnetite dominate the magnetic properties of AXK sequences, and the main factor affecting magnetic properties is the concentration of ferrimagnetic fraction. For the “pedogenesis enhancement” and “wind intensity” model, it seems hard to explain the magnetic susceptibility enhancement in this area. For the concentration of fine-grained magnetite in magnetic mineral shows positive relationship with the intensity of pedogenesis, the magnetic parameters of loess deposit in Ili valley can be used to recover paleoclimatic variations.     

末次冰期山东黄土物源研究: 来自碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄的约束

胶东半岛北部海滨和山东中部山区北麓沉积了典型的风尘黄土,详细记录了晚更新世以来的气候变化,然而有关这些黄土究竟来自哪里,目前仍处于争议之中.锆石是黄土中常见的副矿物,其U-Pb年龄谱对比被广泛用于黄土的物源示踪研究.基于此,利用激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子质谱仪（LA-ICP-MS）对上述地区晚更新世典型的黄土剖面开展碎屑锆石（n=420）微区原位U-Pb年龄分析,结合Kolmogorov-Smirnov统计方法的多维判别图和前人已经发表的研究结果,发现胶东半岛北部海岸和山东中部山地北麓东段的晚更新世黄土主要来自渤海裸露的大陆架和华北平原的碎屑物质,受中国西北内陆干旱区的影响较小,但由于地理位置的差异,山东中部山地北麓西段的晚更新世黄土具有黄河下游和黄土高原的物质信号,而与晚更新世渤海末次冰期裸露在海底的沉积物的物源关系较弱.      

马兰黄土和离石黄土的磁学性质

中国黄土-古土壤系列的磁学性质,如磁化率等被广泛用于古气候和古环境研究,这必须建立在对黄土-古土壤的剩磁的性质和获得剩磁的机制以及古土壤磁性增强的原因有深入了解的基础之上。作者通过对洛川和吉县剖面马兰黄土和离石黄土的磁学性质的深入研究,对黄土与古土壤磁学性质差异的各种表现,对它们剩磁的性质,对古土壤磁性增强的原因以及磁性变化对古气候、古环境研究的意义进行了讨论,并对利用某些磁学性质建立的黄土-古土壤形成的时间模式提出了质疑。     

中国黄土堆积的磁性记录与古降雨量重建

概述了中国黄土和古土壤堆积的磁性特征，进而介绍成壤作用磁铁矿成因模式，讨论控制黄土—古土壤层矿物磁性特征的气候参量及其利用土壤成因磁化率重建古降雨量。     

关中泾阳塬全新世黄土剖面磁化率的古气候阶段划分

通过对陕西关中地区泾阳南塬寨头村和泾阳县新庄村典型剖面全新世黄土-古土壤地层的岩性描述、地层划分和对比,结合泾阳县新庄村AMS¹⁴C的年代测定和其他学者的测年数据,建立了该地区全新世以来黄土沉积年代序列。根据磁化率气候替代指标显示的曲线特征,这一替代指标在剖面上的变化规律以及该黄土剖面所反映的东亚冬、夏季风强弱变化特点,表明了关中地区的气候波动与中国西北地区及全球气候变化的总趋势具有一致性,全新世以来在全球变化背景下关中地区气候变化表现为气候演化的周期性、不稳定性和趋势性。进而对该剖面磁化率曲线特征与其他学者的孢粉谱建立的温度曲线对比,对关中地区全新世以来古气候的阶段性进行了详细分析和论证。将关中地区1 万a以来的气候演变划分为7个气候阶段：第1阶段为10.0～9.0 kaB.P.冷温转换的阶段;第2阶段为9.0～7.0 kaB.P.暖冷波动阶段;第3阶段为7.0～6.0 kaB.P.温暖阶段;第4阶段为6.0～5.0 kaB.P.较温暖阶段;第5阶段为5.0～3.4 kaB.P.暖冷波动阶段;第6阶段为3.4～2.0 kaB.P.气温先降后升阶段;第7阶段为2.0 kaB.P.至现在温暖半湿润、半干旱阶段。     

黄土与古土壤容重指标与季风气候变化关系的初步研究——以郑州邙山赵下峪剖面为例

本文以郑州邙山赵下峪剖面为例,研究了黄土-古土壤序列的容重及其与磁化率、粒度的关系。结果表明,容重与磁化率反映的夏季风变化有显著的正相关关系,与粗颗粒含量反映的冬季风变化有显著的负相关关系;而天然压实作用对S₁₀以上黄土与古土壤容重的贡献可以忽略不计。所以,风成沉积的容重指标综合反映了冬季风与夏季风气候组合关系的变化。      

Late Pleistocene Environments of the Central Ukraine

The Vyazivok loess sequence from the Dnieper Plain, Ukraine, documents regional environmental changes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Pedological and palynological analyses and low-field magnetic susceptibility document changes from dense temperate forest during the last interglacial maximum to open, harsh, loess–steppe during the latest Pleistocene. The Vyazivok section overlies hillwash derived from a lower Pleistocene terrace and consists of two stratified soil complexes (Kaydaky and Pryluky; marine isotope stage [MIS] 5 equivalent) separated by a layer of eolian dust (Tyasmyn silt). The lower soils in both complexes formed within forest. These soils are overlain by the Uday (MIS4) and Bug (MIS2) loess units, which are separated by boreal soils of the Vytachiv (MIS3) complex. The coldest conditions within the record occurred in the youngest loess. Holocene soils cap the Bug loess. The Vyazivok section shows remarkable similarities with other classical loess sequences in western Europe, the Czech Republic, and Austria. The Kaydaky, Pryluky, and Vytachiv deposits, correlate with the PKIII, PKII, and PKI soil complexes, respectively, of the Czech Republic. The Tyasmyn and Prylyky silt layers correspond to marker horizons from central Europe.     

中国第四纪黄土环境磁学研究进展

中国黄土分布广泛、沉积连续性好,是进行磁性地层研究和重建古环境、恢复古气候的理想材料。中国黄土高原黄土—古土壤序列的环境岩石磁学性质详细地记录了2.5 Ma BP以来古气候和古环境变化的信息,尤其是黄土和古土壤的磁化率作为很好的气候代用指标已得到广泛应用。古土壤磁化率增强成因机制一直在争论中,其中,与气候变化关系密切的成壤作用对古土壤磁化率增强起主导作用的观点已被普遍接受,目前利用不同方法建立了磁化率气候转换函数,从而使重建古降水量和古温度成为可能。     

Magnetic parameters reflecting pedogenesis in Pleistocene loess deposits of Argentina

Quaternary loess sequences of Argentina, with interbedded loess and buried soils (palaeosols), provide terrestrial records of past climates and environmental conditions. Study of rock magnetic parameters measured over a large area of the Pampean loess seems to indicate that the existing magnetoclimatological models cannot adequately account for the complexities of the Pampean loess.The Chinese loess has been considered as typical, where magnetic properties are largely controlled by pedogenesis. On the other hand, the Siberian loess is an alternative magnetoclimatological model in which palaeosols appear as magnetic lows and the intercalated loess as magnetic highs. Argentine loess is apparently closer to the Siberian model. However, considering the data obtained in Argentina, the situation seems to be more complicated. The higest magnetic values (SIRM and susceptibiliy values) in silty and sandy loess indicate a more efficient entrainment of dense iron oxides particles during stormy dry (glacial) intervals.The parent material shows the highest susceptibility values (>100 × 10⁻⁸ m³/kg) while the waterlogged horizons show the lowest ones (below 20 × 10⁻⁸ m³/kg). Pedogenesis resulting in the development of BC and B soil horizons of palaeosols in the parent loess produced decreases in susceptibility values and increases in the F factor. This phenomenon occurs at some degree of humidity in which the process of gleying caused the total depletion of both susceptibility and frequency factor. The magnentic data allows consideration of the relevance of major cycles (arid/humid) separated by discontinuities as the main factor favoring one particular behavior of the magnetic parameters. The B horizons of palaeosols developed during an arid cycle will not show a notable difference in the magnetic records from the parent material. In contrast, during humid climate condition the pristine loess can be progresively obliterated by pedogensis through to the extreme situation of gleying.     

黄土—古土壤序列的典型同结构与1万年来的环境演化——以关中地区的全新世黄土剖面为例

通过对土壤微结构系统的研究，发现黄土高原南部全新世黄土－古土壤序列的微结构可分为基底式胶结结构，胶斑状结构，斑状－胶斑结构，粒状结构，似粒状结构和粒状－斑状结构，其中前3种总是出现在古土壤中，其形成在温暖湿润，植被茂盛的环境下；后3种总是出现在黄土或风化黄土中，形成在以干旱为特征的环境下。微结构沿黄土剖面垂直方向上的变化，实质上揭示了1万年来的环境变化。     

西昆仑山黄土的岩石磁学特征及其磁化率增强机制

成壤过程中形成的细颗粒的软磁性矿物被认为是导致古土壤磁化率增加的主要原因。但近来的研究表明,在一些地区,尤其是靠近沙漠边缘的黄土-古土壤序列,源区对黄土磁化率的影响要远大于成壤作用。因此,有必要对不同地区、不同环境条件下的典型黄土堆积进行详细的岩石磁学研究。日前,我们在西昆仑山北侧钻取了一根长达671m的岩芯,这为研究极端干旱区黄土的岩石磁学性质提供了难得的契机。本文对第一期黄土钻探得到的207m岩芯进行了详细的岩石磁学研究,结果表明: 昆仑山黄土的主要载磁矿物为磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿,同时还含有少量的针铁矿、赤铁矿;  该地区磁化率的变化主要受源区粗颗粒的软磁性矿物含量的影响,成壤作用形成的细颗粒磁性矿物对磁化率的贡献极小;  磁化率、粒度在0.5Ma左右急剧升高和变粗,主要与气候干旱化加剧有关。     

Morphoscopy and morphometry of quartz grains from loess and buried soil layers

A complex method is suggested for the study of surfaces of sand grains. With this method, middle- and late Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequences of the Russian Plain, Dnieper Basin, were studied. Surface texture of grains pointed to a dry and cold climate for their formation. During deposition of loess layers predominantly aeolian and cryogenic processes formed the grain surfaces. During interglacial and interstadial periods chemical weathering dominated.     

中国第四纪古地磁学研究进展

本文扼要介绍了中国第四纪古地磁学研究的进展,其主要结论为：中国黄土－古土壤的主要磁性矿物是磁铁矿、赤铁矿和磁赤铁矿,特征剩磁载体为磁铁矿;Ｌ８和Ｌ３３分别记录了Ｍ／Ｂ和Ｇ／Ｍ地磁极性转换过程;Ｊａｒａｍｉｌｌｏ极性亚带的顶、底分别位于Ｌ１０和Ｌ１２;六盘山以东的黄土剖面,由于土壤化作用强烈,成土过程产生的次生剩余磁性已将持续时间只有５０００ａ左右的Ｂｌａｋｅ极性亚时的原始磁信息掩盖,无法分离出来;只有六盘山以西的黄土剖面才有可能记录Ｂｌａｋｅ极性亚时。黄土的剩余磁性受“Ｓｍｏｏｔｈｉｎｇ”和“Ｌｏｏｋ－ｉｎ”效应的影响很小,因此是研究极性转换期间地球磁场形态学和古风向的合适物质。     

甘肃环县剖面记录的末次间冰期地磁场

环县剖面的古地磁研究结果表明，在第一层古土壤S1的上部和下部分别存在两个地磁场异常。通过剖面磁化率曲线与深海沉积物氧同位素曲线的对比，建立了地磁场变化的时间序列。S1上部记录的地磁场异常，年龄与挪威-格陵兰海及大西洋中发现的地磁异常年龄相当。S1下部的地磁异常，以磁偏角方向强烈摆动，偶极磁场强度明显下降为特征，其年龄与报道的布莱克事件的年龄相当，也与索马里海和地中海所记录的大幅度偶极磁场减弱相吻合，但与西宁剖面的记录不同的是，环县剖面记录的地磁场从没有达到完全的倒转，VGP曲线表现为围绕采样点旋转的经过南半球低纬地区的大环。这些特征表明，在偶极磁场减弱期，具有强烈区域性的非偶极磁场的变化可能对地磁场起着重要的作用。     

Middle to Late Pleistocene environments based on stable organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes of loess-palaeosol sequences from the Carpathian Basin

Stable organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes can be used to interpret past vegetation patterns and ecosystem qualities. Here we present these proxies for two loess-palaeosol sequences from the southern Carpathian Basin to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment during the past 350 ka and establish regional commonalities and differences. Before now, isotopic studies on loess sequences from this region were only conducted on deposits from the last glacial cycle. We conducted methodological tests involving the complete decalcification of the samples prior to stable isotope analyses. Two decalcification methods (fumigation method and wet chemical acidification), different treatment times, and the reproducibility of carbon isotope analyses were tested. Obtained results indicate that the choice of the decalcification method is important for organic carbon stable isotope analyses of loess-palaeosol sequences because ratios vary by more than 10‰ between the wet chemical and fumigation methods, due to incomplete carbonate removal by the latter. Therefore, we suggest avoiding the fumigation method for studies on loess-palaeosol sequences. In addition, our data show that samples with TOC content <0.2% bear increased potential for misinterpretation of their carbon isotope ratios. For our sites, C₃-vegetation is predominant and no palaeoenvironmental shifts leading to a change of the dominant photosynthesis pathway can be detected during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. Furthermore, the importance of further stable nitrogen isotope studies is highlighted, since this proxy seems to reflect past precipitation patterns and reveals favourable conditions in the southern Carpathian Basin, especially during interstadials.     

Rock Magnetism Study on Loess-Paleosol Sequence at Huixinggou Section of Sanmenxia Basin

Rock magnetism is the foundation of paleomagnetism and environmental magnetism study, and is effective in identifying the components, grain size and content of magnetic minerals in rocks and sediments. A systematic rock magnetism investigation has been conducted on the Huixinggou loess-paleosol sequence at Shuigou-Huixinggou Paleolithic site of Sanmenxia Basin in the southeastern Loess Plateau. Results show that the magnetic assemblage of the section is dominated by magnetite and maghemite, as well as hematite, exhibiting the average grain size of magnetic minerals is attributed to Pseudo-Single Domain (PSD). The variation curves of magnetic parameters are consistent and well comparable to marine oxygen isotope curves, with low values corresponding to the loess deposition during glacial periods, and high values corresponding to the paleosol development during interglacial periods, jointly demonstrating the glacial-interglacial cyclicities of magnetic mineral types, composition, and grain size of Chinese loess-paleosol sequences under the influence of alternating strengthening and weakening of Eastern Asian paleomonsoon over the Quaternary period. Comprehensive analysis reveals that the relative content of high-coercivity antiferromagnetic minerals is higher in loess than in paleosol, whilst the absolute content of high-coercivity antiferromagnetic minerals in paleosol is generally higher than that in loess accompanying increasing intensity of pedogenesis. The mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (χ) shows distinctly positive correlations with anhysteretic susceptibility (χ_ARM), Saturation Isothermal Remanent Magnetization (SIRM) and magnetic grain size dependent parameters (χ_ARM/SIRM and χ_ARM/χ), indicating that the pedogenic producing Single Domain (SD) and small PSD ferrimagnetic particles contribute significantly to the magnetic susceptibility enhancement.