Abstract
Gabbros recovered by previous ocean drillings were investigated in paleointensity and rock magnetic experiments. The young ages of the samples (ca. 0.78–1.3 Ma) enable a direct comparison between the plutonic paleointensity and volcanic data. Microscopic observations revealed two kinds of magnetite: needle-shaped exsolution in plagioclase and aggregate associated with the hydrothermal alteration of olivine. In Shaw paleointensity experiments, some samples revealed reasonable estimates, while some others showed an anomalously low ratio of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) versus thermoremanent magnetization (TRM). First-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams indicated that the reasonable NRM/TRM were from non-interacting single domain magnetite exsolved in plagioclase, while the anomalously low NRM/TRM were from secondary magnetite associated with olivine. From the paleointensity results, the mean virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) was calculated to be 8.2 ±2.1 [1022Am2]. Volcanic records in the PINT database for 0.78–1.3 Ma revealed a mean virtual dipole moment (VDM) of 6.3 ± 0.73 [1022Am2]. The difference between them is consistent with the theoretical prediction of the cooling rate effect on paleointensity. These results indicate that oceanic gabbros are reliable paleointensity recorders.
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