Comment on García et al. (2021) Semicontinuous paleomagnetic record of the last 1 Ma from radiometrically dated igneous rocks (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and surrounding areas) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103195

Abstract

García et al. (2021) analyzed paleomagnetic data from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) for paleosecular variation analysis and stated that their work was the first systematic approach of that kind since 2005. This is incorrect, as Rodriguez-Trejo et al. (2019) published a much more comprehensive study, both in terms of the number of paleomagnetic data and their spatial extension within the TMVB, and this work was not even cited by Garcia et al. (2021). Additionally, Garcia et al. (2021) reported 11 allegedly new paleomagnetic directions from lava flows of monogenetic volcanoes and did not mention that 7 of these had been studied before by the same group (Maciel et al., 2014). Results are often similar, but in some cases dramatically different, now interpreted as being related to geomagnetic excursions or of different polarity. Such appalling differences between repeat studies of the same monogenetic volcano or lava flow must be declared, discussed, and in case of only minor differences statistical tests should be applied to check if such results could be combined into one direction. If such data are boldly different, they must be explained convincingly or otherwise resolved by additional sampling of the corresponding volcano. We also report numerous errors in the references, text, figures, and tables of that work.