A high-resolution quartz OSL chronology of the Talede loess over the past ∼30 ka and its implications for dust accumulation in the Ili Basin, Central Asia

Similar to the loess deposits on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), a reliable chronology plays also an important role in revisiting past climate and environment changes recorded by the loess in Central Asia. Previously, a few luminescence and 14C ages, mainly covering the last glacial, were obtained for several loess sections in Central Asia, which are often controversial. Until now, there is still a lack of reliable high-resolution chronologies covering the late Pleistocene, especially the Holocene. Here, the fine-grained (4-11 μm) quartz single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating protocol is used to establish a detailed chronology of the uppermost part (∼5 m) of Talede loess in the Ili Basin Central Asia. Conventional tests of the SAR protocol and the general luminescence characteristics indicate that this protocol is suitable for dating the Talede loess. Finally, 15 closely-spaced quartz OSL ages, ranging from 0.72 ± 0.05 to 28.9 ± 2.12 ka and with no reversals, were obtained. Consistent with previous studies in the Ili Basin, two of the three 14C ages show discrepancy when compared with quartz OSL ages for the Talede loess section. The constructed OSL chronology of the Talede loess reveals that the dust accumulation is rapid during marine isotope stage (MIS) 2, especially during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and is also continuous during the Holocene, with the dust accumulation rate exhibiting a relatively low level and an increasing trend. Comparison of the dust accumulation at Talede with that at other sites in the Ili Basin indicates that the rapid dust accumulation during the LGM is not universal, and the slow dust accumulation during the Holocene is probably true for the entire Ili Basin. Comparison of different grain sized quartz OSL ages from Central Asian loess show characteristics of both consistency and inconsistency, which needs to be further investigated.