TY - JOUR AU - Újvári, Gábor AU - Kok, J F AU - Varga, György AU - Kovács, János TI - The physics of wind-blown loess: Implications for grain size proxy interpretations in Quaternary paleoclimate studies JF - EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS J2 - EARTH-SCI REV VL - 154 PY - 2016 SP - 247 EP - 278 PG - 32 SN - 0012-8252 DO - 10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.01.006 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/3011427 ID - 3011427 N1 - Funding Agency and Grant Number: Hungarian Scientific Research FundOrszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok (OTKA) [OTKA PD-108639]; Bolyai Janos Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Academy of Sciences [BO/00326/15/10]; Directorate For GeosciencesNational Science Foundation (NSF)NSF - Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) [1358621] Funding Source: National Science Foundation; Div Atmospheric & Geospace SciencesNational Science Foundation (NSF)NSF - Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) [1358621] Funding Source: National Science Foundation Funding text: This work has been funded by a post doc project from the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund to GU (OTKA PD-108639). Additional financial support provided by the Bolyai Janos Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (BO/00326/15/10) (GU, GV) is gratefully acknowledged. Constructive and insightful comments by Joe Mason and Thomas Stevens improved this paper substantially. Editorial handling and comments by Ian Candy is appreciated. Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budaörsi u. 45., Budapest, H-1112, Hungary Geodetic and Geophysical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Acaemy of Sciences, Csatkai E. u. 6-8., Sopron, H-9400, Hungary Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States Geographical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budaörsi út 45., Budapest, H-1112, Hungary Department of Geology and Meteorology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 6., Pécs, H-7624, Hungary Environmental Analytical and Geoanalytical Laboratory, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 20., Pécs, H-7624, Hungary Cited By :87 Export Date: 16 February 2021 Correspondence Address: Újvári, G.; Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, Budaörsi u. 45., Hungary; email: ujvari.gabor@csfk.mta.hu Funding details: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, MTA, BO/00326/15/10 ) Funding details: Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, OTKA Funding details: Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, OTKA, PD-108639 Funding text 1: This work has been funded by a post doc project from the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund to GÚ ( OTKA PD-108639 ). Additional financial support provided by the Bolyai János Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( BO/00326/15/10 ) (GÚ, GV) is gratefully acknowledged. Constructive and insightful comments by Joe Mason and Thomas Stevens improved this paper substantially. Editorial handling and comments by Ian Candy is appreciated. AB - Loess deposits are recorders of aeolian activity during past glaciations. Since the size distribution of loess deposits depends on distance to the dust source, and environmental conditions at the source, during transport, and at deposition, loess particle size distributions and derived statistical measures are widely used proxies in Quaternary paleoenvironmental studies. However, the interpretation of these proxies often only considers dust transport processes. To move beyond such overly simplistic proxy interpretations, and toward proxy interpretations that consider the range of environmental processes that determine loess particle size distribution variations we provide a comprehensive review on the physics of dust particle mobilization and deposition. Furthermore, using high-resolution bulk loess and quartz grain size datasets from a last glacial/interglacial sequence, we show that, because grain size distributions are affected by multiple, often stochastic processes, changes in these distributions over time allow multiple interpretations for the driving processes. Consequently, simplistic interpretations of proxy variations in terms of only one factor (e.g. wind speed) are likely to be inaccurate. Nonetheless using loess proxies to understand temporal changes in the dust cycle and environmental parameters requires (i) a careful site selection, to minimize the effects of topography and source distance, and (ii) the joint use of bulk and quartz grain size proxies, together with high resolution mass accumulation rate calculations if possible. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. LA - English DB - MTMT ER -