Preliminary investigation of REE in loess

REE oxides in loess are estimated to amount to about 200 ppm. The REE distribution patterns of loess and its clay-sized fractions are characterized by the enrichment of rare earth elements of Ce family. The REE distribution patterns of loess in the Middle Huanghe (Yellow River) Valley are identical with those of sands from the Tenger Desert, probably indicating the consistency of their material sources. The REE distribution patterns are similar to one another in the clay-sized fractions of Malan loess everywhere in the Middle Huanghe Valley, indicating their compositional homogeneity. Close to the average value of the earth’s crust, the REE distribution patterns of loess and its clay-sized fractions are similar to those of sedimentary rocks (e.g., North American shales), but different from those of chondrites. It seems to show that large amounts of loessic material were transported from the provenance by moving water to sedimentary systems after they had been separated from the precursor, and then transported by wind to the present loess-accumulated areas.