Reappraisal of Chinese Loess Plateau stratigraphic sequences over the last 30,000 years; precursors of an important Holocene monsoon climatic event.

Abstract

Through the establishment of radiocarbon chronozones relating common geological events within lacustrine and eolian sediments from five profiles representative of loess yuan (tablelands), river valley and northwest margin features of the Loess Plateau, we propose a series of stratigraphic divisions within the last 30 ka. The focus of this detailed study involves stratigraphic relationships contributing to evidence of Younger Dryas events, with the recognition of cold-dry, cool-wet and cold-dry periods represented within the Heiheze silt, Midiwan peat and Liushuwan eolian sand. The stratigraphic profiles reflect century-scale fluctuations of the East Asian monsoons. The precursor events enable us to place the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary at 10,000 BP.