Abstract

Variations in magnetic parameters of the long Chinese loess/paleosol sequences reflect paleoclimatic fluctuations. However, there remain ambiguities whether the magnetic proxies are controlled by the concentration or by the distribution of magnetic grain sizes. We systematically investigated the frequency‐dependence of low‐field magnetic susceptibility (χfd%) and the decay‐rate (DR) dependence of anhysteretic remanence magnetization (ARM) susceptibility (χARM,DR%) for a set of representative loess/paleosol samples from the Yuanbao section, western Chinese loess plateau. After removing the effect of aeolian coarse‐grained magnetites, both χfd% and χARM,DR% are nearly independent of the degree of pedogenesis, indicating a presence of fine‐grained magnetic particles ranging from superparamagnetic to single domain with an almost constant grain size distribution. Therefore, the magnetic enhancement of magnetic susceptibility or ARM is caused dominantly by changes in the concentration of these fine‐grained pedogenic grains.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.