10Be evidence for delayed acquisition of remanent magnetization in marine sediments: Implication for a new age for the Matuyama–Brunhes boundary

Abstract

Fluxes of the meteoric cosmogenic radionuclide 10Be vary with changes in the incoming cosmic rays modulated by geomagnetic field intensity variations. The variability in the 10Be flux can be used to synchronize ice cores, as well as marine sediments, by comparison with the relative paleointensity variations of the geomagnetic field. However, lock-in of the paleomagnetic signal at some depth below the sediment–water interface in marine sediments through acquisition of a post-depositional remanent magnetization (PDRM) adds uncertainty to synchronization. Despite the long history of such studies, the magnitude of the PDRM lock-in depth remains controversial. In this article, we present clear evidence for a downward offset of the paleointensity minimum relative to the 10Be flux anomaly at the Matuyama–Brunhes (M–B) geomagnetic polarity boundary, which we interpret to result from a ∼ 15 cm PDRM lock in depth. This lock-in depth indicates that up to several tens of thousands years of age offset probably occurs when a paleomagnetic record is used for dating marine sediments, and the age of the M–B boundary should be revised to ca. 10 kyr younger, which is consistent with a younger ice core derived age of 770 ± 6 ka (2 σ). This cosmogenic age tuning strategy will contribute to refining paleomagnetic-based age models for marine sediments and identifying of lead-lag relationships for global abrupt environmental changes.