Major and trace elements as well as strontium isotopic composition have been analyzed on the acid-insoluble (AI) phase of the loess-paleosol sequence from Luochuan, Shaanxi Province, China. Results show that the chemi...Major and trace elements as well as strontium isotopic composition have been analyzed on the acid-insoluble (AI) phase of the loess-paleosol sequence from Luochuan, Shaanxi Province, China. Results show that the chemical composition of AI phase of loess and paleosols is distinctive to the average composition of upper continental crust (UCC), characterized by depletion of mobile elements Na, Ca and Sr. The distribution pattern of elements in AI phase reveals that initial dust, derived from a vast area of Asian inland, has suffered from Na- and Ca-removed chemical weathering compared to UCC. Some geochemical parameters (such as CIA values, Na/K, Rb/Sr and87Sr/86Sr ratios) display a regular variation and evolution, reflecting that the chemical weathering in the source region of loess deposits has decreased gradually since 2.5 Ma with the general increase of global ice volume. This coincidence reflects that the aridity of Asian inland since the Quaternary is a possible regional response to the global climate change.展开更多
The North China and the neighbouring Mongolia in Asian Interior is characterized by extremely dry climate, resulted in one of the world＇s major dust emission centres. Deciphering the source region of Asian dust is cr...The North China and the neighbouring Mongolia in Asian Interior is characterized by extremely dry climate, resulted in one of the world＇s major dust emission centres. Deciphering the source region of Asian dust is critical for revealing the mechanism of the dust production, interpreting the paleo-environrnental records of eolian deposits, predicting the overall environmental effects of dust, and setting the strategies for the control of contemporary dust storms. This paper summarizes the geochemical methods applied to the source tracing of Asian dust. Nd-Sr isotopes were the most extensively studied source tracer of Asian dust and have been successfully applied in many cases. Geochemistry of detrital monomineral shows great theoretical advantages in source tracing and deserves further studies. The short-range transportation of Chinese loess with direction similar to that of the prevailing near surface wind is revealed. Source tracing also shows that the Asian dust has two ultimate material sources from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and the Central Asian Orogen, which confirms the importance of mountain processes in the production of silt eolian particles. Based on the recent progresses on the source tracing of Asian dust, discussions are expanded on the natural background of Asian dust storms and potential anthropogenic influence, the materials evolution of the source regions of Asian dust and its relationships with climate changes and Tibetan uplift, and the role of Tibetan uplift in the Asian dust system.展开更多
基金The authors are grateful to Dr. Lu Huayu from the State Key Laboratory of Loess and QuaternaryGeology for his assistance in field work. This work was supported by NKBRSF (G1999043400), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49725307) a
文摘Major and trace elements as well as strontium isotopic composition have been analyzed on the acid-insoluble (AI) phase of the loess-paleosol sequence from Luochuan, Shaanxi Province, China. Results show that the chemical composition of AI phase of loess and paleosols is distinctive to the average composition of upper continental crust (UCC), characterized by depletion of mobile elements Na, Ca and Sr. The distribution pattern of elements in AI phase reveals that initial dust, derived from a vast area of Asian inland, has suffered from Na- and Ca-removed chemical weathering compared to UCC. Some geochemical parameters (such as CIA values, Na/K, Rb/Sr and87Sr/86Sr ratios) display a regular variation and evolution, reflecting that the chemical weathering in the source region of loess deposits has decreased gradually since 2.5 Ma with the general increase of global ice volume. This coincidence reflects that the aridity of Asian inland since the Quaternary is a possible regional response to the global climate change.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41021002)
文摘The North China and the neighbouring Mongolia in Asian Interior is characterized by extremely dry climate, resulted in one of the world＇s major dust emission centres. Deciphering the source region of Asian dust is critical for revealing the mechanism of the dust production, interpreting the paleo-environrnental records of eolian deposits, predicting the overall environmental effects of dust, and setting the strategies for the control of contemporary dust storms. This paper summarizes the geochemical methods applied to the source tracing of Asian dust. Nd-Sr isotopes were the most extensively studied source tracer of Asian dust and have been successfully applied in many cases. Geochemistry of detrital monomineral shows great theoretical advantages in source tracing and deserves further studies. The short-range transportation of Chinese loess with direction similar to that of the prevailing near surface wind is revealed. Source tracing also shows that the Asian dust has two ultimate material sources from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and the Central Asian Orogen, which confirms the importance of mountain processes in the production of silt eolian particles. Based on the recent progresses on the source tracing of Asian dust, discussions are expanded on the natural background of Asian dust storms and potential anthropogenic influence, the materials evolution of the source regions of Asian dust and its relationships with climate changes and Tibetan uplift, and the role of Tibetan uplift in the Asian dust system.
