The elemental carbon record in Weinan loess section since the last 21 ka

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02900576
• Publication Date: 2008-05-04T20:08:22Z
• Authors: Ying Yang; Chengde Shen; Weixi Yi; Yanmin Sun; Dongsheng Liu
• Keywords: Loess plateau; Section (typography)

We studied the records of elemental carbon (EC) of the last 21 ka in the Weinan loess section, Shanxi Province. The variations of EC abundance and δ13CEC value along with depth (or age) were presented. There are four large peaks of EC abundance around the following years: 20.16 ka, 17.76 ka, 11.97 ka and 4.49 ka. Climatic situation was changed rapidly during these periods. The peaks around 11.97 ka and 20.16 ka are particularly sharp, occurring over intervals of tens to hundreds of years, which could represent short-duration intense events. δ13CEC values in the upper 4 m of the Weinan loess section vary between −11.71‰ and −21.34‰, which suggests that the vegetation pattern of the last 21 ka on the Loess Plateau is C4-dominated grasses.