Acquisition of Natural Remanent Magnetization for Dirt-Snow Containing Rock Dust.

Abstract

Magnetization process of dirt-snow containing fine-grained magnetic minerals was investigated in order to understand the acquisition mechanism of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) by dirt-ice layers in Antarctica. Dirt-snow acquired NRM from the direction of geomagnetic field (GMF) direction at rooms -10°C and -20°C, and inclination becomes shallower than the GMF after 50 days.The following two types of NRM acquisition mechanisms in the GMF are proposed; (1) magnetic grains align along the GMF when they drop onto the surfaces of underlying snow due to vaporization of snow; (2) the magnetic grains are rotated to align in the GMF direction on the snow surfaces by the torque with the GMF and the NRM. The compaction of the natural snow at formation of depth hoar works to flatten the NRM direction.Probably the Antarctic dirt-ice has acquired NRM during the periods of accumulation of snow and magnetic grains and formation of the depth hoar. The NRM of dirt-snow and -ice are usuful for understanding the glacial dynamics and paleomagnetism of the Antarctic ice sheet, although many problems still remain.