The sorting stratification of deposition couplets and freeze-thaw cycling were simulated based on slope soils in the Huangtuwa landslide-dammed reservoir. Meanwhile, physiochemical characteristics (including water content, grain size, element composition, organic and carbonate contents) of each deposition couplet were measured under different freeze-thaw conditions. The results showed that simulated layers of three deposition couplet were distinctly laminated and exhibited typical characteristics of the couplets in landslide-dammed reservoirs and check dams on the Loess Plateau. After freezing, water content, carbonates, and Ca concentration were enriched upward in the fine-grained layers of three simulated couplets. Following thawing, these components migrated downward in the underlying fine-grained layers of the first and second couplets, but they moved upward (in an opposite direction) in the fine-grained layer of the top (third) couplet due to soil-water potential. This study confirms that high concentration and strong positive correlation of calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) in the fine-grained layer served as effective geochemical indicators for distinguishing annual freeze-thaw layer, whereas the high contents and inverse correlation of Ca and strontium (Sr) by the XRF core scanning was considered as supplementary indicators.