A call for Australian loess: discussion and commentary

A study of loess in Australia brings the idea of 'desert' loess back into view. Production of particles in deserts still presents problems, but deserts do make adequate storage regions for loess particles – usually produced in adjacent mountains. Straightforward for Central Asia or China (a particle source in High Asia and convenient deserts en route to eventual deposition), but the Sahara and Australian deserts traditionally present problems. If loess material is allowed to be silt-sized clay agglomerate particles as well as the usual clastic primary minerals, then loess in Australia seems reasonable. Loess acquires its remarkable loessic qualities via aeolian deposition – the nature of the particles is perhaps of lesser importance. A more generalised approach to airborne sediments might be attempted, with two major types of suspension material recognised: large dust (maybe coarse and very coarse silt, say 20–60 µm, or perhaps 4–6 phi) and small dust (fine and very fine silt, 2–8 µm, 7–9 phi). Loess is made from large dust.