Clay Minerals as Indicators of the Provenance and Palaeoclimatic Record of the Kashmir Loess

The provenance of Kashmir loess and its palaeoclimatic significance has been probed using minerological techniques. As many as ten palaeosols (buried soils) have been recognised within the loess profiles. Their mineralogical composition is almost uniform throughout the profilcs. Qu'artz is the dominamt mineral (>60% of the total) and is followed by feldspar and pyroxene suggesting that the loess is derived primalily from a region where both acid and basic rocks and their equivalent metamorphic derivatives predominate. The clay mineral suite consists principally of illite and stnectite, which are negatively correlated. Kaolinite and chlorite are also present (<10% each of total). elemental composition of the different lithounits generally correlate well with the mineralogical data. These studies suggest that the loess was derived from the rocks within the valley itself. Crystallinity parameters of illite are found to be very sensitive to Quaternary climate change and are correlated with deep sea palaeoclimatic record.