The Mangshan(MS) loess is located on the south bank of the Yellow River near the southwestern part of the North China Plain

well outside of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Stratigraphically

the uppermost～100 m loesspaleosol sequence

formed in the last two climate cycles

is extremely thick compared with the eolian deposits in the CLP. Previous researches revealed that

unlike other sections in the CLP

the MS loess since deposit of S

2

(about 200 ka) is characterized by exceptionally high accumulation rates

lower magnetic susceptibility values and coarser grainsize distribution. The Yellow River flood plain adjacent to the MS loess is considered as the dominant source of the accumulated loess

but the proof in geochemistry is absent. The trace element (TE) and rare earth element (REE) characteristics of the MS loess bear information about climate change

and may give insight into the dust sources. We present the loess comparison of TE and REE compositions in MS

Sanmenxia (SMX

i.e.

the Sanmen Gorge) area

CLP and Huainan(HN) since deposit of S

2

. The results show substantial differences in Zr/Hf

Nb/Th

Y/Th and La/Th values when compared the MS loess with the SMX

CLP and HN loess

leading to an important indicator for provenance. Specifically

the MS loess shows a higher Zr

Hf and a lower Th

Cs

implying a coarser grainsize distribution. The difference in TE composition between the MS loess and the other eolian deposits is also shown in the ternary diagrams of La-Th-Sc and Zr/10-Th-Sc

in which the MS loess projection region is incompletely consistent with that of the SMX

CLP and HN loess. Most probably

these were all derived from the difference of dust sources. The REE study of the MS loess and its comparison with the loess of SMX

CLP and HN show a lower ΣREE

LREE/HREE and La/Eu value. The MS loess samples exhibit an exceptionally distinctive projection region in the ternary diagrams of 10*Hf-Ce-Yb and La-Zr/10-Ce. Both of them are reasonably classified as another provenance. All results present that the dust source of the MS loess may be disparate from that of SMX

CLP and HN

implying that the alluvial fan adjacent to MS may contribute significantly to the accumulation of the MS loess-palaeosol sequences since deposit of S

2

. The Yellow River flowed out through the Sanmenxia in about 200 ka

releasing most of its suspended load due to a dramatic decrease in gradient and forming an excessive deposition of the alluvial fan. Such excessive deposit compensation provided a major source for the MS loess accumulation.