npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (Jan 2024)

A comprehensive dataset of luminescence chronologies and environmental proxy indices of loess-paleosol deposits across Asia

  • Guoqiang Li,
  • Zhongfeng Yan,
  • Yougui Song,
  • Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons,
  • Shuangwen Yi,
  • Shugang Kang,
  • Chongyi E,
  • Thomas Stevens,
  • Zhongping Lai,
  • Aditi K. Dave,
  • Chunzhu Chen,
  • Yanqing Deng,
  • He Yang,
  • Leibin Wang,
  • Xiaojian Zhang,
  • Caixin Qin,
  • Qiuyue Zhao,
  • Jan-Pieter Buylaert,
  • Tao Lu,
  • Yixuan Wang,
  • Xiangjun Liu,
  • Zhiyong Ling,
  • Qiufang Chang,
  • Haitao Wei,
  • Xiaoyan Wang,
  • Fahu Chen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00555-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Abstract Loess-paleosol sequences have been used in Asia to study climate and environmental changes during the Quaternary. The scarcity of age control datasets and proxy indices analysis data for Asian loess has limited our understanding of loess depositional processes and the reconstruction of paleoclimatic changes from loess-paleosol records. In this study, we present a dataset that includes 1785 quartz optically stimulated luminescence ages and 1038 K-feldspar post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence ages from 128 loess-paleosol sequences located in different regions of Asia. We generate 38 high-resolution age-depth models of loess records based on the provided datasets. We provide data on 12,365 grain size records, 14,964 magnetic susceptibility records, 2204 CaCO3 content records, and 3326 color reflection records. This dataset contains the most detailed and accurate chronologies and proxy index data for loess records in Asia yet published. It provides fundamental data for understanding the spatial-temporal variations in loess depositional processes and climatic changes across the continent during the mid-late Quaternary.