Late Pleistocene and Holocene loess sedimentation in central and western Qilian Shan (China) revealed by OSL dating

摘要: Abstract The knowledge of loess accumulation in the central and western Qilian Shan was restricted to time span since 13–11 ka until present. Loess deposits prior this period have not yet been reported. In study 23 samples from northern piedmont area dated using fine-grained quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating technique set up a chronological framework for sedimentation region. Our results demonstrate that deposition dust widespread last deglaciation (∼13 ka) ∼3.6 ka area. Furthermore, chronology has extended back at least ∼81 ka, which is remarkably older than previously thought. existence suitable environmental conditions (e.g. vegetation cover) can be deduced Holocene late Pleistocene. However, revealed discontinuous before ∼13 ka as indicated by its episodic occurrence.