Formation of the desert landscape in central and eastern Asia in the late Pliocene supported by new evidence and forcing mechanism

Eolian deposit (loess) in the Chinese Loess Plateau is an excellent record of paleo-climate change since Neogene. The detrital zircon age of loess in Luochuan, Jiaxian and Xining site in the Chinese Loess Plateau are analyzed to trace the provenance of the eolian deposit. These provenance study can provide information about paleo-atmospheric circulation and evolution of desertification and aridification of East Asia. All loess layers in the Chinese Loess Plateau process similar conspicuous peaks at 250-350 Ma and 350-540 Ma, and the small peaks between 1200-540 Ma, and 2800-1200 Ma.中国黄土高原的风成沉积（黄土，loess）是新近纪以来古气候变化的绝佳地质记录。本数据集针对中国黄土高原洛川、佳县及西宁剖面的黄土碎屑锆石年龄开展分析，以追溯该风成沉积的物源信息。此类物源研究可为东亚古大气环流演化以及荒漠化与干旱化进程提供关键科学依据。中国黄土高原所有黄土层均具有相似的显著年龄峰值：250~350 Ma、350~540 Ma区间，以及1200~540 Ma、2800~1200 Ma区间的小型次级峰值。