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Clay mineralogy of a red clay–loess sequence from Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors:Susanne Gylesj  Eve Arnold
Institution:aDepartment of Geology and Geochemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Abstract:The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) comprises an extensive record of eolian deposition that contains important information about climate change. The objective of this study is to investigate if mineralogy can provide more insight into the long-term evolution of the East Asian monsoon. Comparisons between mineralogy and other paleoclimatic records (grain size and magnetic susceptibility) from the CLP have been made to evaluate the efficacy of mineralogy as a paleoclimatic tool.Here we present data from a mineralogical study of a red clay–loess sequence at Lingtai, central Chinese Loess Plateau. Changes related to source area(s), transport processes and weathering regime over time are recorded in mineral variation.Higher average concentrations of kaolinite, chlorite and quartz in the red clay, together with abrupt changes in relative mineral abundances across the red clay–loess boundary suggest a change of source area at 2.6 Ma. From 2.6 Ma to about 1.7 Ma the summer monsoon influence increases, destroying chlorite and contributing fine illite particles to the sediment. At around 1.7 Ma the mineralogy becomes relatively constant, suggesting that the monsoon was fairly stable during this period. At 0.7–0.5 Ma an increase of both summer monsoon and winter monsoon activity is inferred from illite, kaolinite, chlorite and plagioclase concentrations. Over the last 0.5 Ma mineralogy suggests an aridification of source area(s) as chlorite and plagioclase concentrations increase where illite concentration decreases. The last major change occurred around 0.07 Ma and indicates reducing summer monsoon influence as chlorite and quartz concentrations increase and illite concentration, as well as the < 2 μm size fraction, decreases. The mineralogical trends and differences between loess and paleosols units suggest different source areas in the last 0.5 Ma.
Keywords:Chinese Loess Plateau  eolian sediments  clay mineralogy  East Asian monsoon  paleoclimate  Lingtai
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