Rapid climatic changes recorded in loess successions

Detailed grain-size analyses, both in China and western Europe, indicate th e occurrence of short climatic cycles during loess deposition of the last g lacial. Cold episodes coincided with enhanced deposition of relatively coar se loess and alternated with relatively warmer episodes with decreased depo sition of finer loess and soil formation. In Europe, these oscillations may coincide with alternations of permafrost development and degradation. The short-term climatic events in the loess sections are similar to the Dansgaa rd-Oeschger events in ice-core records. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.