A late Quaternary magnetic record of Tunisian loess and its climatic significance

Abstract

Magnetic measurements for a 10 m loesspalaeosol sequence from the Matmata Plateau in southern Tunisia show significant down-profile variations in concentrations of pedogenic ferrimagnetic minerals. The sequence appears to correlate with regional and global records of climate change over the past 70 kyr. There is strong evidence from comparisons of mineral magnetic properties in modern soils and palaeosols that the sequence holds a proxy record of winter precipitation.