Abstract: There are generally 5~6 terraces along the main rivers and their affluents in the Loess Plateau.The loess is overlying these terraces like mantles.Divided by the Liupanshan Mts.,the loess stratigraphical structure on the terraces may be subdivided into two stratigraphical regions:the west and the east.
In the west region,the highest terrace is terrace VI,on which loess section is about 310~505 m thick with 21~23 layers of paleosol,being the thickest loess deposits in the world at present.The loess on terrace VI began to form during 1.43 MaBP.Loess on the terrace consists of layers of soil from L₁ to S₁₄ or S₁₆,200~400 m in thickness,and dated at about 1.23 MaBP.Terrace IV loess is made up of layers of soil from L₁ to S₅ or S₆,100~200 m in thickness and dated at about 0.62 MaBP.Terrace Ⅲ loess consists of L₁ and S₁,about 40~65 m in thickness and dated at about 0.12 MaBP.Terrace Ⅱ loess is about 20~35 m thick and dated at about 0.03 MaBP.Terrace I loess consists of black loam(S₀),and upper loess(L₀),2~3.5 m in thickness,and dated at about 0.01 MaBP.
In the east region,there are generally I-V terraces,which are overlaid by loess,but loess thickness is thinner.Terrace V loess:about 70~90 m thick,with 11~16 layers of paleosol,and dated at about 1.23 MaBP.Terrace IV loess:layers of soil from L₁ to S₈ or S₉,about 40~70 m thick and dated at about 0.80 MaBP.Terrace Ⅲ loess:layers of soil from L₁ to S₆,about 25~45 m thick and dated at about 0.62 MaBP.Terrace Ⅱ loess:L₁ and S₁,10~17 m thick,and dated at 0.12 MaBP.Terrace I loess consists of S₀,L₀ and MS,about 2.0 m in thickness and dated at about 0.01 MaBP.