Magnetic properties of surface soils in the Chinese Loess Plateau and the adjacent Gobi areas, and their implication for climatic studies

► Surface soil from Loess Plateau and the Alxa Plateau area of northwest China were analyzed by using magnetic techniques. ► The main magnetic minerals in the surface soils are magnetite, maghemite and hematite with the grain sizes of PSD and MD. ► The results indicate χfd% has a closer relationship with precipitation than χlf in the study area.