Late Pleistocene Climate and Dust Source From the Mobarakabad Loess–Paleosol Sequence, Northern Foothills of the Alborz Mountains, Northern Iran

Paleoclimatic investigation of loess-paleosol sequences from northern Iran is important for understanding past changes in a region highly sensitive to shifts precipitation, and along potential routes human migration. Here, we present carbon oxygen isotopic compositions bulk carbonate (? 13 C bc ? 18 O , respectively) coupled with particle size distributions samples the Mobarakabad section, Iran, study wind dynamics hydroclimate. We also new initial clay-sized Hf-Nd isotope results key horizons order assess general dust sources. Variations values modern soils compared paleosols allow reconstruction late Pleistocene–Holocene climate change area. Our show severe drought during major eolian deposition phase (EDP) after 34 ka. The thickness PSD horizon unit 5 suggest significant loess sources depositional environments this EDP Indeed, based on our data, hypothesize that might originate young crustal source Alborz Kopet Dagh mountains. In general, section bimodal silt fraction very small, fine clay fraction, mode at c. 1 ?m soil possibly produced by weathering pedogenic processes. There appears be good correlation between values, differentiating phases accumulation paleosol formation hence providing quantitative data reconstructing paleoclimatic conditions