Leachate Lithium Characteristics of Loess‐paleosol Sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau and their Paleoclimatic Significance

Abstract

AbstractThe geochemical components of the leachate from loess‐paleosol deposits can provide information about climate‐related post‐depositional processes. For example, leachate lithium ([Li]leachate) is a potential paleoclimate proxy because lithium is a typical lithophile element that is readily adsorbed by clay minerals during weathering and pedogenesis, and thus stratigraphic variations in [Li]leachate can reflect these processes. We investigated the [Li]leachate values of two loess‐paleosols profiles (the Luochuan and Weinan sections), on a north–south climatic gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Independent paleoclimate information was provided by measurements of magnetic susceptibility, grain size, Rb/Sr ratios, and clay mineral content. During the last glacial‐interglacial period, [Li]leachate increased from 0.39 to 1.97 μg/g at Luochuan and from 0.67 to 2.45 μg/g at Weinan, mainly due to increasing pedogenesis. Based on these results we developed a conceptual model to explain the variations in [Li]leachate. Li+ within loess layers is mainly derived from dust input and the decomposition of primary minerals, influenced by the East Asian winter monsoon, while in paleosol layers Li+ is mainly derived from clay mineral adsorption during pedogenic processes, influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon.