Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T23:16:55.602Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dependence of Near-Surface Magnetic Susceptibility on Dust Accumulation Rate and Precipitation on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Stephen C. Porter ,
Bernard Hallet ,
Xihao Wu  and
Zhisheng An
Stephen C. Porter
Affiliation:
Quaternary Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1360, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Bernard Hallet
Affiliation:
Quaternary Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1360, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Xihao Wu
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Environmental Research, Academia Sinica, Xiying Road 22-2, Xi'an, 710054, China, E-mail: [email protected]
Zhisheng An
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Environmental Research, Academia Sinica, Xiying Road 22-2, Xi'an, 710054, China, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Magnetic susceptibility (MS) of surface sediment varies systematically across the Loess Plateau in central China, decreasing exponentially from >200×10−8 m3/kg at the northern margin of the Qinling Shan to ≤30×10−8 m3/kg near the southern margin of the Mu Us Desert. MS correlates highly with loess median grain size (r 2=0.79), which decreases south-southeastward across the plateau. It also correlates with mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) (r 2=0.58 and 0.60, respectively), and with their product MAT×MAP (r 2=0.83), which is considered a measure of potential pedogenic activity. Because regional isopleths depicting grain size and the primary meteorological parameters are nearly parallel, it is difficult to determine their relative influence on MS. A simple MS model, based on the observed spatial variation in loess thickness, permits quantitative assessment of the effect of the dust accumulation rate on the MS signal of surface sediment and isolates the likely role of climate in the production of magnetic minerals. The model suggests that 84% of the loess MS variance is dictated by the diluting effect of dust and 10–11% is associated with meteorological factors, primarily precipitation. The observed and modeled relationships support hypotheses that attribute variations in MS in the loess-paleosol succession to varying rates of dust deposition and in situ production of magnetic minerals in the accretionary soils, both of which are controlled by monsoon climate.

Keywords

loesspaleosolsChinaLoess Plateaumagnetic susceptibilitypaleoclimateeolian dustsoil
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 55 , Issue 3 , May 2001 , pp. 271 - 283
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

An, Z.S., Kukla, G.J., Porter, S.C., Xiao, J.L., (1991). Magnetic susceptibility evidence of monsoon variation on the Loess Plateau of central China during the last 130,000 years.. Quaternary Research, 36, 29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
An, Z.S., Porter, S.C., Kutzbach, J.E., Wu, X.H., Wang, S.M., Liu, X.D., Li, X.Q., Zhou, W.J., (2000). Asynchronous Holocene optimum of the East Asian monsoon.. Quaternary Science Reviews, 19, 743–762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, R.S., Hallet, B., (1996). Simulating magnetic susceptibility profiles in loess as an aid in quantifying rates of dust deposition and pedogenic development.. Quaternary Research, 45, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Han, J.M., Lu, H.Y., Wu, N.Q., Guo, Z.T., (1996). The magnetic susceptibility of modern soils in China and its use for paleoclimate reconstructions.. Studia Geophysica et Geodetica, 40, 262–275.Google Scholar
Heller, F., Liu, T.-S., (1986). Palaeoclimatic and sedimentary history from magnetic susceptibility of loess in China.. Geophysical Research Letters, 13, 1169–1172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heller, F., Shen, C.D., Beer, J., Liu, X.M., Liu, T.S., Bronger, A., Suter, M., Bonani, G., (1993). Quantitative estimates of pedogenic ferromagnetic mineral formation in Chinese loess and palaeoclimatic implications.. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 114, 385–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kukla, G., (1987). Loess stratigraphy in central China.. Quaternary Science Reviews, 6, 191–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kukla, G., An, Z.S., (1989). Loess stratigraphy in central China.. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 72, 203–225.Google Scholar
Kukla, G., Heller, F., Liu, X.M., Xu, T.C., Liu, T.S., An, Z.S., (1988). Pleistocene climates in China dated by magnetic susceptibility.. Geology, 16, 811–814.Google Scholar
Kukla, G., An, Z.S., Melice, J.L., Gavin, J., Xiao, J.L., (1990). Magnetic susceptibility record of Chinese loess.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences, 81, 263–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maher, B.A., Taylor, R.M., (1988). Formation of ultrafine-grained magnetite in soils.. Nature, 336, 368–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maher, B.A., Thompson, R., (1991). Mineral magnetic record of the Chinese loess and paleosols.. Geology, 19, 3–6.Google Scholar
Maher, B.A., Thompson, R., (1992). Paleoclimatic significance of the mineral magnetic record of the Chinese loess and paleosols.. Quaternary Research, 37, 155–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maher, B.A., Thompson, R., (1995). Paleorainfall reconstructions from pedogenic magnetic susceptibility variations in the Chinese loess and paleosols.. Quaternary Research, 44, 383–391.Google Scholar
Maher, B.A., Thompson, R., Zhou, L.P., (1994). Spatial and temporal reconstructions of changes in the Asian palaeomonsoon: A new mineral magnetic approach.. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 125, 462–471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, S.C., (2001). Chinese loess record of monsoon climate during the last glacial–interglacial cycle.. Earth Science Reviews, .CrossRefGoogle Scholar