Magnetic fabric of early Quaternary loess-paleosols of Longdan Profile in Gansu Province and the reconstruction of the paleowind directions

Abstract

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) is a rapid and precise tool for determining paleowind directions. During the past several decades, AMS has been used for determining paleowind directions of Chinese loess. The AMS for a loess-paleosol profile in early Quaternary at Longdan in the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, northeastern fringe of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau has been obtained. The primary results show that the AMS of the Longdan profile has its typical normal eolian dust deposit. The AMS is mainly controlled by magnetic foliation (F) and the shape parameter of the AMS ellipsoid is oblate. The declination of maximum susceptibility (K1) was used to determine the paleowind direction of that area in early Quaternary and it was found that the paleowind direction is biased towards NW-SE.