CHARACTERIZATION OF CHINESE LOESS AND ASSOCIATED PALEOSOL BY MOSSBAUER-SPECTROSCOPY

A Mossbauer study of magnetically enriched samples of loess and associated palaeosol from a section in Jixian (China) reveals that the iron-bearing magnetic components are predominantly hematite and magnetite, exhibiting to a large extent similar features in loess and soil. The only Important difference observed is the presence of a substantial amount of maghemite in the soil, Indicating an advanced stage of weathering of magnetite in the latter. It is therefore concluded that the enhanced remanence observed in the soil can mainly be explained by a dilution of the primary non-magnetic loess minerals and the acquisition of chemical remanence.