Origin of Quaternary Red Clay of Southern Anhui Province

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The particle size distribution, heavy mineral constituents and rare earth elements (REE) characteristics of the Quaternary red clay of southern Anhui Province were studied to explore the origin of the clay. The results showed that the clay had some properties of areolian deposits, which could be compared with those of the loess in North China; and its chondrite normalized curves of REE were similar to those of the Xiashu loess, implying that they shared the same origin. It was concluded in combination with the results reported by other researchers that the Quaternary red clay of southern Anhui Province originated from aeolian deposits, and this could reveal the cycles of warm and cold climates in the area during the Quaternary period.