Loess in China

1. A Brief History of Loess Studies in China.- 1.1 The Significance of the Study of Loess.- 1.2 The Terminology and Concept of Loess.- 1.3 The Process of Loess Formation.- 1.4 A Brief History of Loess Studies.- 2. Regional Distribution of the Aeolian Products (Loess).- 2.1 Loess Distribution.- 2.2 Geological Structure of Basins with Loess Sediments.- 3. Time Sequence of Loess Deposits.- 3.1 Luochuan Loess-Paleosol Sequence.- 3.2 Magnetostratigraphy of Loess and the Lower Boundary of the Pleistocene.- 3.3 14C Dating of Loess.- 3.4 Loess Sedimentation Sequence in the Last 10000 Years.- 3.5 Discussion of Loess-Paleosol Sequence and of Geological Events in the Past 2.4 Million Years.- 4. Fossils in Loess and Its Ecological Environment.- 4.1 Fossil Mammals with Special Evidence of the Evolution of Myospalax.- 4.2 Fossil Snails and Their Environment.- 4.3 Spores, Pollen and Paleovegetation.- 5. Composition of Loess.- 5.1 Grain-Size Distribution.- 5.2 Heavy Minerals.- 5.3 Clay Mineral.- 5.4 Geochemical Characteristics.- 5.5 Rare Earth Elements.- 5.6 Amino Acids.- 5.7 Paleosol.- 6. Loess and the Environment.- 6.1 Dust Deposition and the Modern Dust Storm.- 6.2 Amount and Rate of Loess Deposition.- 6.3 Long-Term Climatic Changes in the Loess Plateau of China.- 6.4 Spectral Analysis of Luochuan Loess-Paleosol Sequence.- 6.5 Composition of Loess and Loessial Soil and Agricultural Production.- 6.6 Geochemical Environment of Loess and Endemic Diseases.- 6.7 Property of Engineering Geology of Loess Deposits and Evaluation of Regional Stability.- 6.8 Environment and Erosion of Loesses.- 7. Methods in Loess Research.- 7.1 The Principles of Stratigraphic Classification and Nomenclature of Loess Sequence.- 7.2 Thermoluminescent Dating of Loess.- References.