Loess particle size data indicative of stable winter monsoons during the last interglacial in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Abstract

Particle size data from the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau do not support the last interglacial correlation, suggested by the data from the central part of the Loess Plateau, between the high dust-influx events in the Loess Plateau and the cool events in the high northern latitudes. The lack of marked oscillations in the particle size of the last interglacial paleosol S1 in the western part of the plateau is interpreted as an indication of stable winter monsoons. It is thus inferred that the teleconnection between the northern high latitudes and the Chinese Loess Plateau evident in the last glacial might not have existed during the last interglacial. It is argued that the western part of the plateau is a better place to establish synchroneity between parent material (eolian) deposition and S1 paleosol formation (6–8 m thick) under such cooler and drier conditions. However, to assume synchroneity between parent material (eolian) deposition and S1 paleosol formation (only 2.5 m thick) under the warmer and moister interglacial conditions in the central part of the plateau is a questionable practice. Thus, the high-resolution correlation with the data from the North Atlantic area remains problematic.