Behaviours of REE and Other Trace Elements During Pedological Weathering—Evidence from Chemical Leaching of Loess and Palaeosol from the Luochuan Section in Central China

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Abstract
The chemical leaching method is used for a systematic analysis of distribution characteristics of acid–soluble and acid–insoluble REE and other trace elements from the Luochuan loess deposits. The study shows that the acid–insoluble phase in loess and palaeosol is a stable component of old aeolian dusts and is characteristic of the provenance; the acid–soluble phase is the unstable component in the weathering pedogenic process and reflects rock–forming features after accumulation of aeolian dusts. The acid–insoluble REE and acid–soluble Sr and Pb can be used as geochemical indicators respectively to trace the provenance characteristics and the weathering pedogenic process.