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The indicative significance of grain size and total lipid content for Holocene climate and paleo-human activities in Zhouyuan Loess, Shaanxi

ZHOU Lu1,2, LI Yumei1,2, ZHANG Yuxie1, LONG Yujia1,2, WU Jinxu1, LIU Haoyu1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    2. Laboratory of Molecular Fossils of Testing Centers, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China
  • Received:2025-10-15 Revised:2025-12-31 Online:2025-12-31

Abstract: This study reconstructs the Holocene paleoenvironment of the Licun profile through a comprehensive analysis of multiple indicators including magnetic susceptibility, grain size, color, and total lipid content, and explores its relationship with paleo-human activities. The study indicate that these indicators clearly document climatic shifts since the Last Glacial Period, including cooling event during the mid-to-late Holocene. At 6 ka B.P., grain size at the Licun profile increased and exhibited abrupt changes compared to the Liangcun profile. At 2.8 ka B.P., total lipid content showed an abnormal increase. At 2 ka B.P., magnetic susceptibility and redness reached abnormally high values, while total lipid content decreased. Comprehensive analysis of these indicators reveals that their anomalous variations reflect changes in the intensity of human environmental modification, alterations in land use patterns, and the evolution of societal development stages. The intensity of human activity in the Zhouyuan region steadily increased throughout the Holocene, demonstrating a trend from environmental adaptation to significant environmental impact, ultimately becoming the primary driving force behind environmental change. This provides valuable insights into the evolving relationship between the natural environment and human development.

Key words: paleoenvironment, grain size, lipids, Zhouyuan Loess, cold events

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