Loess-palaeosol sequences in Eastern Europe, especially those in the Azov region, are among the most sensitive terrestrial archives for identification of past aeolian dynamics and Quaternary palaeoclimatic reconstruction. Grain size analyses of loess sediments are widely used to interpret these transport mechanisms and palaeoclimatic changes based on granulometric parameters and statistical decomposition methods. This topic is therefore of growing interest in Earth sciences and has been a major focus of sedimentary studies. Here, we present the results of unmixing grain size distributions from a loess-palaeosol section at the Sea of Azov, Russia, by jointly applying the standard deviation method and end-member modelling. The results indicate that the two methods can produce similar grain size decompositions but that end-member modelling has advantages in terms of quantitative and objective characteristics. In addition, three main loess subpopulations or end-members (EMs) with mode sizes of 8 μm, 18 μm and 32 μm, which represent distinct aerodynamic environments, are identified from the grain size distribution in the Azov region. Thereinto, EM1 with a mode size of 8 μm is the integrated result of combining atmospheric circulation with other environmental processes. EM2 with a mode size of 18 μm is inferred to represent continuous background dust under non-dust storm conditions. EM3 with a mode size of 32 μm is a fraction transported in short-term, low-altitude suspension clouds during dust storm outbreaks. Of the three EMs, EM1 and EM2 have multiple origins due to their complex formations, whereas EM3 is primarily derived from the alluvial plains of different rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov.

东欧的黄土古土壤序列，尤其是亚速河地区的黄土古土壤序列，是用于识别过去的风成动力学和第四纪古气候重建的最敏感的陆地档案。黄土沉积物的粒度分析被广泛用于基于粒度参数和统计分解方法来解释这些传输机制和古气候变化。因此，这个话题在地球科学中越来越受到关注，并且已经成为沉积研究的主要焦点。在这里，我们通过联合应用标准偏差方法和末端构件模型，展示了俄罗斯亚速海黄土-古土壤剖面的未混合粒度分布结果。结果表明，两种方法都可以产生相似的晶粒尺寸分解，但是在定量和客观特性方面，端构件建模具有优势。此外，根据亚速地区的粒度分布，确定了三个主要的黄土亚群或末端成员（EM），它们的模式大小分别为8μm，18μm和32μm，代表了不同的空气动力学环境。其中，模式尺寸为8μm的EM1是将大气环流与其他环境过程相结合的综合结果。推断模式尺寸为18μm的EM2代表在非沙尘暴条件下的连续背景尘埃。模式尺寸为32μm的EM3是沙尘暴爆发期间在短期低空悬浮云中运输的一部分。在三个新兴市场中，