The dust storm events recorded in DaQaidam region of Qaidam Basin since Late Glacial period: evidence from the grain size of lake sediment

¹ Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
² Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China

^* Corresponding author’s e-mail: chunlianggao@isl.ac.cn

Abstract

The paper focused on the study of detrital yellow layer from sediment profile D3 of DaQaidam Salt Lake, based on AMS ¹⁴C chronologic and mineralogical methods, aimed to discuss the dust storm events recorded by detrital yellow layer of DaQaidam region since Late Glacial period. The results showed that the grain-size distribution curve displayed double kurtosis, the main peak (10 µm in average) reflected the fine-grained fractions into lake by fluviation, and the secondary peak (> 32 µm) reflected the coarse silt fractions into lake by wind effect and fluviation. Finally, the coarse-grained fractions (> 64 µm) from sediment profile D3 probably recorded the dust storm events since Late Glacial period.