Introduction: The Quaternary period was characterized by drastic changes in climatic conditions worldwide (Roy et al., 2006) so that the escalation of eolian processes, desert formation and drying of lakes are attributed to this period (Koutavas et al., 2002). Playa is a region with negative water balance for more than half a year as well as capillary properties close to the surface and sediments (Rosen, 1994). In some cases, playa sediments are the only evidence of past environmental conditions in arid and semiarid regions (Davis, 1994). Clay minerals are one of main proxies for paleoenvironment and paleoclimate studies (Thiry, 2000). Also, changes in clay minerals in sediments are often indicative of climate changes (Birks et al, 2012). The analysis of clay plains in playas and dried pluvial lake provides a good criterion for determining the origin of sediments and climate change (Oliveira et al., 2002); (Battarbee, 1999). Hence, some researchers (Bentz, 2017), (Jones, 1983), (Srodon, 1997), (Tateo et al., 2000), (Kadir et al., 2016 DeVogel et al., 2004) have conducted valuable studies on late Quaternary climate changes using clay minerals. The present study aims to reconstruct the late Quaternary climate based on clay minerals obtained from Sabzevar Playa in northeastern Iran.

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