Depth trends in magnetic properties in an area of prolonged cold seawater drawdown in uppermost Troodos-type oceanic crust

Abstract

Study of the oxide minerals and measurements of the magnetic properties of about 100 samples distributed over a 475 m continuous drill-core section from the uppermost part of an extrusive sequence of the Troodos, Cyprus, ophiolite close to 35°02′N, 33°11′E, in the vicinity of Malounda, yields the following principal results: (1) Low-temperature alteration is intense to a depth of 260 m, below which it is relatively much subdued. (2) Saturation magnetization, natural remanence intensity, and initial susceptibility all increase continuously with depth throughout the section. (3) Curie temperature decreases with depth to 260 m, below which a change in the style of the thermal decay of magnetization behaviour takes place. (4) Pillowed and massive flows differ in their magnetic properties.The results are consistent with the downwards decrease in low-temperature alteration also noted by K. Gillis from the distribution of secondary minerals. The downwards variations in magnetic properties closely follow in both sense and magnitude the trends observed in DSDP hole 417A, where marked downwards decrease in low-temperature alteration also occurs. This comparison and the discontinuous nature of the lower units of the Troodos sedimentary cover in the vicinity of hole CY-1 support the interpretation of the upper, reddened facies of the Troodos extrusive sequence as being due to prolonged drawdown of cold seawater and suggest that the magnetization of at least the upper part of the Troodos ophiolite is a reliable guide to ocean crust magnetization.