Loess, as an allochthonous material, plays a significant role in the formation of Pleistocene periglacial slope deposits (PPSD), and thus also for Holocene soil formation, in the central European low mountain range. Although the differing loess proportions in different layers of the PPSD have been well recognized, quantitative distribution and mixing processes of loess in PPSD are still not fully understood. Detailed particle-size distribution was applied for quantifying loess proportions in PPSD in a sandstone area in central Germany. The bimodal pattern of the particle-size distribution curves clearly reflected loess and sandstone-weathering material as two components of the loess-affected layers, which allowed for the quantification of these two components by applying a two-endmembers unmixing model. By inspecting variations of particle-size distribution curves both vertically and spatially, we gained insights into the mixing processes of loess in PPSD and Holocene colluvium. Our results suggest that the loess component in upper layers most likely results from the incorporation of preexisting loess. Holocene colluvium and upper layers were thoroughly homogenized by various earth-surface processes. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal indicated strong human impact during historic times. Close correlation between the overall thickness of loess-containing layers and the depth-weighted loess content pointed to the erosional-depositional history at each site. Our research demonstrates the utility of detailed particle-size data for detecting and interpreting geomorphological processes and landscape evolution. It shows that the spatial distribution patterns of loess are subjected not only to topographic factors controlling primary loess deposition, but also to erosional-depositional histories and anthropogenic impact.

黄土作为一种外来物质，在更新世冰缘斜坡沉积物 (PPSD) 的形成中起着重要作用，因此也对中欧低山脉的全新世土壤形成起着重要作用。尽管人们已经很好地认识到了PPSD不同层中不同的黄土比例，但PPSD中黄土的定量分布和混合过程仍未完全了解。详细的粒度分布用于量化德国中部砂岩地区 PPSD 中的黄土比例。粒度分布曲线的双峰模式清楚地反映了黄土和砂岩风化材料作为黄土影响层的两个组成部分，这允许通过应用两端元不混合模型对这两个组成部分进行量化。通过观察垂直和空间粒度分布曲线的变化，我们深入了解了黄土在 PPSD 和全新世崩积层中的混合过程。我们的研究结果表明，上层的黄土成分很可能是由原有黄土的掺入造成的。全新世崩积层和上层被各种地表过程彻底均质化。木炭的放射性碳测年表明在历史时期强烈的人类影响。含黄土层的总厚度与深度加权的黄土含量之间的密切相关性表明每个地点的侵蚀沉积历史。我们的研究证明了详细的粒度数据可用于检测和解释地貌过程和景观演变。