Loess Deposits on Four Continents (Closed)
A topical collection in Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This collection belongs to the section "Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology".
Viewed by 846Editors
Interests: quaternary studies; loess sedimentology; loess stratigraphy
Interests: physical geography; anthropogenic warming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
In 2021 there is a surge in the publication of loess papers. This is largely due to the increase in scientific activity in China, and is related to the loess deposits in North China. In the world of loess studies there are surges in interest due to new geographies, new concepts, new techniques, even new politics and new attitudes.
Andrei Dodonov pointed out that loess research in the Soviet Union was very heavily skewed towards engineering geological studies with an emphasis on collapsibility and subsidence, which drew support away from other topics and sectors. This unevenness in loess research should be recognized. There are surges associated with equipment, with the development of new techniques; SEM might have brought a revolution but did not (although it solved the collapsibility problem). The instrumental revolution is due to the development of remarkable methods of particle size analysis, and latterly the use of zircon-based dating methods.
We need to detect and record current and past surges in loess research, and relate them to the overall broad-scale picture. The great surge in the recent past was the exploitation of the Danubian loess, particularly in Serbia, close to Novi Sad. George Kukla was involved in this at the very end of his great loessic life, launching a new and dazzling loessic interlude.
We need more studies, considerations, reviews, commentaries, discussions, and hypotheses. Loess researchers tend to be frogs (close attention to the near at hand); we need more birds (the overall vistas and great generalizations); the frogs have done great things, but the bird’s-eye view is necessary.
Prof. Dr. Ian Smalley
Prof. Dr. Slobodan Marković
Collection Editors
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Keywords
- loess material
- deposit formation
- collapsibility and fragipan formation
- snails and creatures
- stratigraphy and climatology
- bricks
- loess habitats
- loess as dust and relative to deserts
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
tentative short abstract: Iowa is one of the most ecologically altered states in the United States. The Loess Hills running along the western edge of Iowa contain some of the largest remaining tracts of unplowed remnant prairie left in the state. As a major ecological corridor, there is urgent need to
expand and link protected core areas of the Loess Hills in a way that provides sustainable economic opportunities for the residents of this bioregion. Through a consortium of interested individuals and agencies, we describe approaches that have been used to build recognition of this unique land form though a dedicated Loess Hills Prairie Seminar, and develop sustainable outdoor recreational opportunities, such as the LoHi (Loess Hills) Trek, to benefit local economies and highlight challenges
and possibilities in establishing corridors to provide safe passage through the landform for people and wildlife.
