Magnetic properties and paleointensities as function of depth in a Hawaiian lava flow

Abstract

The outcome of paleointensity experiments largely depends on the rock-magnetic properties of the samples. To assess the relation between volcanic emplacement processes and rock-magnetic properties, we sampled a vertical transect in a ∼6 m thick inflated lava flow at Hawaii, emplaced in ∼588 AD. Its rock-magnetic properties vary as function of distance from the flow top; the observations can be correlated to the typical cooling rate profile for such a flow. The top and to a lesser extent the bottom parts of the flow cooled faster and reveal a composition of ∼TM60 in which the magnetic remanence is carried by fine-grained titanomagnetites, relatively rich in titanium, with associated low Curie and unblocking temperatures. The titanomagnetite in the slower cooled central part of the flow is unmixed into the magnetite and ulvospinel end-members as evidenced by scanning electron microscope observation. The remanence is carried by coarse-grained magnetite lamella (∼TM0) with high Curie and unblocking temperatures. The calibrated pseudo-Thellier results that can be accepted yield an average paleointensity of 44.1 ± 2.4 μT. This is in good agreement with the paleointensity results obtained using the thermal IZZI-Thellier technique (41.6 ± 7.4 μT) and a recently proposed record for Hawaii. We therefore suggest that the chance of obtaining a reliable paleointensity from a particular cooling unit can be increased by sampling lavas at multiple levels at different distances from the top of the flow combined with careful preliminary testing of the rock-magnetic properties.