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Magnetic characteristics of topsoil from Xinjiang, Northwestern China, and their implications

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Abstract

In this study, a set of environmental magnetic parameters (χlf, χfd%, χARM , SIRM, HIRM, SOFT and SIRM/χlf, χARM /SIRM and χARM /χlf) of 331 top-soil samples from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China were systematically measured and the magnetic characteristics and its environmental significance were discussed. Our results indicate that the main magnetic minerals of these top-soils are single-domain magnetite. The content of magnetic minerals in top-soils from north Xinjiang is higher than that from south Xinjiang; however, the content of hard magnetic minerals is higher in the topsoils from south Xinjiang. The top-soils from Yili region contain similar magnetic minerals as that from south Xinjiang, but with much stronger magnetic SP content due to higher pedogenic processes. The differences in magnetic characteristics among top-soils from different regions of Xinjiang might reflect the differences of regional climatic factors, especially the precipitation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of West China’s Environmental System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Haitao Wei, Dunsheng Xia, Fahu Chen, Ming Jin, Haibin Wang & Jia Jia

  2. Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Institute of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Dunsheng Xia

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  1. Haitao Wei
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  2. Dunsheng Xia
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  3. Fahu Chen
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  4. Ming Jin
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  5. Haibin Wang
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  6. Jia Jia
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Correspondence to Dunsheng Xia.

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Wei, H., Xia, D., Chen, F. et al. Magnetic characteristics of topsoil from Xinjiang, Northwestern China, and their implications. Front. Earth Sci. China 3, 259–265 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-009-0041-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-009-0041-5

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