›› 2013, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (6): 1004-1012.

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Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Loess Profiles in the Ili Basin, Xinjiang

GUO Li-cheng1,3,4,CHEN Xiu-ling1,2,SONG You-gui2,JIA Li-min1   

  1. (1. Fujian Province Cultivation Base of State Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Mountain Ecology, College of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007,Fujian,China;2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi[JP8]’a[JP]n 710075,Shaanxi, China;3. Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; 4. University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China)
  • Received:2012-09-13 Revised:2013-05-07 Online:2013-11-15 Published:2013-12-12

Abstract: Studies on the relations between the Asian aridification and the climate fluctuation in the northern hemisphere and the reconstruction of palaeoenvironment in arid region in north China have attracted extensive global attention in recent years, and more effective means are needed to be applied to reveal the specific mechanisms of them. As we all known, rare earth elements (REE) with similar chemical properties and little changes during weathering transportation and diagenesis are widely used as the trace elements in studying the provenances of various sediments. REE characteristics are closely related to environmental change, so that REE can record the environment evolution in detail. Consequently, REE are widely used as the important indicators in studying paleoclimate. However, few studies on the characteristics and environmental significance of REE in loess in northwest inland area of China were carried out. The characteristics of rare earth elements in loess profiles in the Ili Basin and those in typical loess areas since the Epipleistocene were analyzed and compared. The results revealed that the average content of REE in loess profiles in the Ili Basin was similar to that in the typical loess profiles, and the REE distribution was in an inclined “Lshaped” pattern. The main fractional characteristics were similar and characterized by LREEenrichment and HREEdepletion, the distribution curves were negative oblique lines, and Eu performed a negative anomaly, but the anomaly of Ce was not obvious. Therefore, these loess profiles had the common characteristics, and loess was possibly originated from same sources. However, there were a few differences of the characteristics of REE in the loess profiles in different areas since the Epipleistocene, which was related to the existence of proximal sources of loess profiles in the Ili Basin, different sedimentation environment, and instability of upper air circulation.

Key words: Epipleistocene, loess profile, rare earth element, the Loess Plateau, Ili Basin, Xinjiang