The aeolian loess-paleosol sections on the Chinse Loess Plateau (CLP) have particular value from the perspective of reconstructing the variations of East Asian Monsoon (EAM) during the Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles. A Holocene aeolian loess-paleosol section in the central Guanzhong Basin on southern CLP was analyzed to determine its intensity of weathering and pedogenesis and paleoclimatic implications. Analysis of chemical element and micromorphology infer that most stratigraphic units in these Holocene aeolian loess-paleosol sections are in weak weathering and pedogenesis, whereas the mid-Holocene paleosol approaches to the moderate weathering and pedogenesis. In terms of intensity of weathering and pedogenesis, the stratigraphic units can be ordered as follows: paleosol> top soil > recent loess> transitional loess. This indicates three distinct stages in the palaeoenvironment evolution: 1) a dry-cold climate with strengthening tendency of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in the early Holocene (11.20–8.50 ka BP); 2) a warm-humid climate affected by intense EASM in the mid-Holocene (8.50–3.10 ka BP), and lastly 3) an episode of gradually shifting to dry-cool climate with weakened EASM (since 3.10 ka BP). In addition, the spatial distribution characteristics of chemical index of alteration (CIA) values in the mid-Holocene paleosol on the CLP were analyzed by using the Kriging interpolation technique. The CIA values in the mid-Holocene paleosol show a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest, and are consistent with the distribution trend of present-day temperature and precipitation. The present is the key to the past, it can be inferred that the strong influence of the EASM on the weathering and pedogenesis of paleosol during the warm and humid mid-Holocene episode. These results are of significance in exploring the Holocene weathering and pedogenesis and paleoenvironmental evolution on the CLP. 
 

Holocene, Loess-peleosol section, Chemical index of alteration, Pedogenesis, Chinese Loess Plateau