Sr isotopic ratios of ancient gypsic soils in Atacama Desert, northern Chile

87Sr/86Sr data for Upper Miocene to Pleistocene calcium sulfate soils in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile are provided. Some examples occur as relict soils and others are paleosols. At some locations, full vertical profiles were sampled, while at other locations samples were collected at only one or two depths within the ancient soil profile. The purpose of the Sr isotopic study is to determine the source of the salts that constitute the soil and to use the identification of ancient soils with marine aerosol influence as a paleoaltitude proxy. A total of 98 samples are reported for sites spanning ~330 km strike-parallel distance and elevations between 450 and 1850 m.a.s.l., within the Coastal Escarpment, Coastal Cordillera and Central Depression of northern Chile (18.7-21.8°S).

本数据集提供了智利北部阿塔卡马沙漠中上中新世至更新世硫酸钙土壤的87Sr/86Sr同位素数据。其中部分为残余土壤（relict soils），其余则为古土壤（paleosols）。部分采样点采集了完整的垂直剖面样品，而另一些采样点仅在古土壤剖面内的一至两个深度处取样。锶同位素研究的目的在于确定构成土壤的盐分来源，并将受海洋气溶胶影响的古土壤识别结果用作古海拔代用指标（paleoaltitude proxy）。数据集共包含98个样品，采样点分布于智利北部（南纬18.7-21.8°）的海岸悬崖、海岸山脉及中央洼地内，走向平行距离约330公里，海拔介于450至1850米海拔（m.a.s.l.）之间。