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The sporadic distribution of the Quaternary loess in Central Asia makes it hard to establish a regional pedostratigraphy through visual tracing of marker strata. The pedostratigraphic correlation presented here is thus completely based on the radiocarbon chronologies of the four studied sections. The first noticeable feature is that poorly-drained conditions predominated in the period between similar to 48,000 and similar to 30,000 (14)C BP, during which three entisols developed at similar to 45,000 (14)C BP, similar to 40,000 (14)C BP, and similar to 35,000 (14)C BP. After a period of loess deposition between similar to 30,000 and similar to 18,000 (14)C BP under poorly-drained conditions, an entisol at the westernmost site (Valikhanov, south-central Kazakhstan) developed between similar to 18,000 and similar to 10,000 (14)C BP, also under poorly-drained conditions. The time equivalent deposits at Romantic and Zeketai sections to the east do not exhibit any soil-forming characteristics, although poorly-drained conditions are also imprinted in the time-equivalent loess. The Holocene sequences in the Central Asian domain consist of an early Holocene loess unit deposited between similar to 10,000 and similar to 5,000 (14)C BP and a late Holocene soil formed during the past similar to 5000 years. In comparison, the climate was also wet between similar to 48,000 and similar to 20,000 (14)C BP, during which three mollisols developed under well-drained conditions in the Chinese Loess Plateau of the East Asian domain. The loess deposited between similar to 23,000 and similar to 10,000 (14)C BP in the Chinese Loess Plateau has neither observable marks of soil formation nor imprints of poorly-drained conditions. The Holocene sequence in the East Asian domain exhibits an out-of-phase relationship with that in the Central Asian domain, consisting of an early Holocene soil formed between similar to 9000 and similar to 4000 (14)C BP and a late Holocene loess unit deposited during the past similar to 4000 years. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.