Chemical variations of loess from the Chinese Loess Plateau and its implications

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is the largest loess deposit on Earth with expansive surface-exposed source rocks of varying origins, ages, and history. Here, we present abundances elements representative palaeosol samples from seven classic sections CLP. Most elements, including soluble (e.g. Rb Cs), show significant correlations La or Al2O3. These indicate that these are hosted absorbed in particle minerals during weathering, transport, deposition mica, K-feldspar, clay minerals). new observations allow use La/X (‘X’ being element interest) estimated abundance 31 ppm model upper continental crust (UCC) to estimate other elements. results higher Cs (Cs = 6.7 ± 1.2 ppm), lower transition metals, Ba, Ga. Given high CaO presence carbonate UCC both vast western China (the primary for CLP) eastern China, propose updates represent a refined carbonate-bearing UCC.