¹⁰Be and magnetic susceptibility in Chinese loess

Abstract

10 Be and magnetic susceptibility have been measured in the top 12 m of a loess profile from Luochuan, Central China. Comparison of the 10 Be concentration record with the SPECMAP δ 18 O profile of the last 130 ka (Imbrie et al., 1984] results in a new time scale which is in good agreement with that of Kukla et al. [1990]. The calculated loess accumulation rates can be compared with existing records of dust falls in Pacific deep sea sediments and Antarctic ice cores. A simple model for the 10 Be dust flux demonstrates that a significant part of the magnetic susceptibility signal in palaeosol horizons is due to in situ pedogenic production. During times of high loess accumulation (cold palaeoclimate) this contribution is negligible.