Anhysteretic Remanent Research Articles

A high-resolution Holocene record of the East Asian summer monsoon variability in sediments from Mountain Ganhai Lake, North China

A high-resolution environmental magnetic records from a sediment profile in Mountain Ganhai Lake, has provided new insights into modulation of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) on climatic changes in North China from the final period of last deglacial stage to Holocene. Large pseudo-single-domain (PSD) to multidomain (MD) detrital magnetite grains are identified in the lake samples. The upwards decreasing magnetic susceptibility (χ) and anhysteretic remanent magnetic susceptibility (χARM) are consistent with the dominant vegetation changes: grassland (~13.0–10.5 ka) under dry and cold conditions, shrub-forest-grassland (~10.5–5.8 ka) in a warm and humid climate, and forest where the Pinus trees increase rapidly to be the dominant taxa, indicating the climate changes from warm and humid to cooler but drier between ~5.8 ka and ~4.0 ka. The lower S-100mT and S-300mT ratios coincide with the higher degree of soil stability and a stable lake stage at ~11.8–6.5 ka. Changes in magnetic anisotropy are also linked to environmental and climatic changes, with T parameters showing higher values during warm/interglacial periods. The anisotropy patterns indicate three different stages of the lake evolution: (1) an early stage of the lake, accompanied by a disturbed high-energy flow, a coarse average mineral particle diameter (MPD) distribution (>16.28 μm) and scattered subvertical minimum direction (K3) at ~13.0–11.8 ka; (2) a fairly stable lake environment between ~11.8 ka and 6.5 ka, indicated by a low-energy flow, finer MPD (~9.69 μm) and subvertical K3 axes; (3) an unstable, high-energy flow and coarse MPD (~20.03 μm) with tilted K3 axes, thus indicating a transition from lake-center to lakeside (~6.5–4.0 ka). These multi-proxy records reveal a weak EASM activity in the final period of the last deglaciation (~13.0–11.8 ka), a high EASM intensity in the early-mid Holocene (~11.8–4.8 ka), an EASM maxima in the mid-Holocene (~8.0–5.8 ka), which then generally weakens at ~4.3–4.2 ka. Overall, this study suggests the anisotropy and climatic changes in the alpine lake are significantly affected by the insolation-driven EASM.

A high-resolution, 60 kyr record of the relative geomagnetic field intensity from Lake Towuti, Indonesia

Past changes in the Earth’s magnetic field can be highlighted through reconstructions of magnetic paleointensity. Many magnetic field variation features are global, and can be used for the detailed correlation and dating of sedimentary records. On the other hand, sedimentary magnetic records also exhibit features on a regional, rather than a global scale. Therefore, the development of regional scale magnetic field reconstructions is necessary to optimize magnetic paleointensity dating. In this paper, a 60 thousand year (kyr) paleointensity record is presented, using the core TOW10-9B of Lake Towuti, located in the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, as a part of the ongoing research towards understanding the Indonesian environmental history, and reconstructing a high-resolution regional magnetic record from dating the sediments. Located in the East Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt, the bedrock surrounding Lake Towuti consists of ultramafic rocks that render the lake sediments magnetically strong, creating challenges in the reconstruction of the paleointensity record. These sediment samples were subject to a series of magnetic measurements, followed by testing the obtained paleointensity records resulting from normalizing natural remanent magnetization (NRM) against different normalizing parameters. These paleointensity records were then compared to other regional, as well as global, records of magnetic paleointensity. The results show that for the magnetically strong Lake Towuti sediments, an anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) is the best normalizer. A series of magnetic paleointensity excursions are observed during the last 60 kyr, including the Laschamp excursion at 40 kyr BP, that provide new information about the magnetic history and stratigraphy of the western tropical Pacific region. We conclude that the paleointensity record of Lake Towuti is reliable and in accordance with the high-quality regional and global trends.

Magnetic Response of Heavy Metal Pollution in Playground Dust of an Industrial Area

The use of mineral magnetic measurements as a potential pollution proxy is explored as an alternative means of monitoring heavy metal pollution in playground dust in industrial areas. Dust samples were collected from playgrounds in an industrial area in Nanjing. The magnetic properties of the samples were analyzed, and the total and acid-extractable concentrations of heavy metals were measured.Mineral magnetic concentration parameters[mean magnetic susceptibility (χlf) 939.31×10-8 m3·kg-1 and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) 16618.74×10-5 A·m2·kg-1] indicate that the dust samples contain high concentrations of magnetic minerals when compared to the non-industrial zone of the city. High and stable S-ratio values (mean 0.97, standard deviation 0.01) indicate the prominence of ferromagnetic minerals. Low values of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χARM)/χlf(2.35) and χARM/SIRM (0.12×10-3 m·A-1) indicate predominantly coarse pseudo single domain (PSD) and multi-domain (MD) magnetic grain size assemblages. The playground dust is considered moderately to highly polluted, and the enrichment factor values for Cd, Zn, Cu, and Pb indicate extremely high contamination levels in the playground dust. Mineral magnetic parameters[χlf, SIRM, hard isothermal remanent magnetization (HIRM), χARM, and χARM/SIRM] reveal significant correlations with total and acid-extractable concentrations of the trace metals, and the correlations with total concentrations are stronger. The most significant correlations were found with mineral magnetic concentrations (χARM and SIRM) and total concentrations of the elements Mn, Ni, and Cr and the Tomlinson pollution load index (PLI) (0.69 ≤ r ≤ 0.86, P<0.01). Consistent spatial characteristics between them were also found, showing that the total concentrations of heavy metals and magnetic parameter values are higher in the playgrounds near and downwind of the power plant. Results of a principal component analysis indicate that anthropogenic activities (mainly from coal consumption by power plants) are the main sources for both heavy metals and magnetic minerals. In summary, significant correlations and consistent spatial characteristics between heavy metal contents and magnetic parameters and the same anthropogenic source for heavy metals and magnetic minerals confirm that magnetic parameters could be considered as efficient indicators for heavy metal contamination in the playground dust in industrial areas.

An AMS study of different silicic units from the southern Paraná-Etendeka Magmatic Province in Brazil: Implications for the identification of flow directions and local sources

In the Southern portion of the Paraná-Etendeka Magmatic Province in Brazil, extensive silicic (dacite-rhyolite) deposits occur at the top of a sequence of low-Ti pahoehoe to rubbly basalts. The internal architecture of the silicic deposits and their eruptive style, as well as the location of their sources are still unsatisfactorily known. In an attempt to provide independent evidence for flow directions in deposits previously characterized as effusive, and test the hypothesis of local sources, we carried out anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) studies on the two main silicic units (Caxias do Sul dacites and Santa Maria Rhyolites) with the best exposures in an area previously mapped in detail.Magnetic anisotropies were determined on oriented cylindrical specimens from a total of 28 sites. Rock magnetism properties indicate that “pseudo-single-domain” magnetite carries the fabrics and the remanence. Magnetic fabrics were determined by applying anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM). Both AMS and AARM tensors are coaxial, indicating that the AMS fabric is not affected by the effect of magnetite single-domain grains.Magnetic data from several dacitic coulées (Caxias do Sul unit) indicate flows from SE to NW. The location and spatial distribution of these lavas support the hypothesis of local sources, aligned along a NE-SW trend. These data are in agreement with the alignments of structures (dome-shaped hills) observed in field work and DEM images. On the other hand, magnetic data obtained in Santa Maria rhyolites indicate that flow directions in two different areas are distinct (towards NW/NE and W), suggesting that they derived from different emission centers.So, regarding the silicic volcanism in the studied region, our data do not support the model which classifies the entire silicic volcanism of the province as extensive rheomorphic pyroclastic deposits released from a central conduit. In contrast, we propose the occurrence of local volcanic events, implying in the existence of different sources, possibly characterized by local emission centers.

Magnetic characterization of distinct soil layers and its implications for environmental changes in the coastal soils from the Yellow River Delta

The soils in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) were formed through the deposition of the Yellow River sediments under complicated hydrodynamic conditions, resulting in large variability in soil properties. In this study, environmental magnetic analyses were conducted on four typical soil profiles and one high resolution soil profile with distinct soil layers to examine the soil formation process and to track the environmental changes. The results showed that the red clay layer (RCL) in the YRD soil profiles had unique magnetic properties, which could be clearly separated from the yellow silt layer (YSL) at frequency dependent susceptibility (χfd%)>6%, susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χARM)>250×10−8m3kg−1, χARM/magnetic susceptibility (χlf)>5, χARM/saturated isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM)>45×10−5mA−1 and SIRM/χlf<12×103Am−1. The magnetic enhancement of the RCL could be attributed to the presence of fine superparamagnetic (SP)/single domain (SD) ferrimagentic grains sourcing from hydrodynamic sorting of old sediments (e.g., paleosol in the Chinese Loess Plateau). It was hard to discriminate the RCL and YSL in the <2μm fraction by magnetic bi-plots, suggesting that the abundance of clays with higher contents of secondary ferrimagnetic minerals contributed significantly to the magnetic variability of different soil layers in the YRD. Three units were identified in a high resolution soil profile based on the changes of magnetic curves, including a steady deposition process in the upper unit, a strong hydrodynamic process with varied provenance in the middle unit and a heterogeneous deposition process in the lower unit with the RCL. The three units were closely linked to the variation of nutrients (carbon and nitrogen) and metals (chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti) and zirconium (Zr)) in the soil profile, indicating the influence of provenance and sorting during sediment transportation and deposition. The magnetic method is sensitive to characterize soil formation and environmental changes in the coastal zone.

Magnetic fabrics of the Cretaceous dike swarms from São Paulo coastline (SE Brazil): Its relationship with South Atlantic Ocean opening

Magnetic fabric and rock magnetism studies were performed on 91 dikes from Cretaceous diabase and lamprophyre dike swarms that outcrop side by side on the beaches of NE São Paulo State coastline. The dikes crosscut Archean and Proterozoic poly-metamorphic rocks of the Costeiro Complex. Their thicknesses range from a few centimeters to 2m for lamprophyre and up to about 10m for the diabase. They trend predominantly N30°–60°E with vertical dip. Magnetic fabrics were determined using anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM). Rock-magnetism measurements reveal that magnetite grains in the range of 2–5μm are the magnetic mineral of both swarms. For most dikes, these grains are the carriers of bulk magnetic susceptibility but, surprisingly, are not responsible for the AMS which is carried by Fe-bearing minerals as shown by AARM. The main AMS fabric recognized in the swarms is due to magma flow, in which the Kmax-Kint plane is parallel to the dike's plane, and the magnetic foliation pole (Kmin) is perpendicular to it. The analysis of the Kmax inclination showed that the dikes were fed by horizontal to vertical flows. However, for the majority of the dikes the AMS and AARM tensors are not coaxial. The AARM lineation (AARMmax) is oriented N30–60W, approximately perpendicular to AMS lineation (Kmax) suggesting that magnetite grains were rotated approximately 90° anticlockwise from the dike plane. The AARMmax orientation is similar to the direction of a fault system mainly in the Santos marginal basin which was formed in the Cretaceous rifting during the South Atlantic opening. Therefore the AARM fabric is tectonic in origin, and the comparison of AMS and AARM fabrics suggests that lamprophyre and diabase dikes were emplaced in three distinct events in the earliest stages of the South Atlantic opening.

A Geomagnetic Paleointensity Record of 0.6 to 3.2 Ma From Sediments in the Western Equatorial Pacific and Remanent Magnetization Lock‐In Depth

AbstractInformation of past geomagnetic intensity variations is important for better understanding of the geodynamo, and efforts to recover continuous paleointensity records continue, in particular for ages older than 2 Ma. In this study, a new relative paleointensity (RPI) record of 0.6 to 3.2 Ma was obtained from a sediment core in the western equatorial Pacific, which has good age control by the oxygen isotope stratigraphy from 2.0 to 3.2 Ma. The RPI record could well be correlated to existing RPI templates despite the low sedimentation rate of ~5 m/Ma and will be useful for future construction of a stacked paleointensity curve beyond 2 Ma. Magnetic minerals of the core consist mainly of biogenic and terrigenous oxidized magnetite. Some rock magnetic contamination to long‐term RPI changes is recognized; RPI inversely correlates with the ratio of anhysteretic remanent magnetization to saturation remanent magnetization, which may be caused by differences in remanence acquisition efficiency between the biogenic and terrigenous magnetic components. The lock‐in depth of the studied core is estimated to be approximately 0 from a line of evidence including no apparent offset between RPI and cosmogenic beryllium nuclide flux changes across some polarity boundaries. Lock‐in depths vary locally from core to core or even within a single core and have no obvious relation with sedimentation rates and carbonate contents. Lock‐in depths may be controlled by factors that are currently difficult to be evaluated, such as variations in sediment flocculation sizes and biogeochemical remanent magnetization dependent to chemical conditions of sediments.

Magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for coal ash pollution within riverbed sediments in a watershed with complex geology (southeastern USA)

A study of near surface sediments from the Dan River (southeastern USA) was conducted to assess the use of magnetic properties as proxies of coal ash after a recent spill. The watershed geology is diverse and potentially contributes magnetic minerals to riverbed sediment from diabase dikes in the Dan River Triassic Basin and from granitic gneiss outside the basin. Coal ash is heterogeneous, including aluminosilicate spheres, amorphous particles and carbonaceous rods and lacy particles. The magnetic fraction of ash from the failed storage pond is up to 17 wt% and is mostly composed of black spheres with maghemite and magnetite. Ash was detected in riverbed sediment from quiet water settings such as inside of meander bends, the confluence of tributary streams and near islands between the spill site and 20 miles downstream in the Schoolfield Reservoir, Danville, VA. The strong magnetic signal is detected above background in riverbed samples and is strongly positively correlated with total ash; elevated low field magnetic susceptibility (χ LF) is evident in samples with ≥ 12% ash content. Anhysteretic remanent magnetization and hysteresis parameters delineate native sediment, ash-bearing sediment, and diabase dikes. Between 20 and 70 miles downstream of the spill site, ash concentrations were either buried or too low due to dilution with native sediment to be detected with χ LF in riverbed samples.

Flooding history of Lake Nakaumi, western Japan, inferred from sediment records spanning the past 700 years

ABSTRACTManagement of flood risk can benefit from a knowledge‐based approach to flooding history. However, the data on such events are often insufficient for an objective evaluation of flooding characteristics such as their intensity. Therefore, we analyzed a 14C‐dated sediment core recovered from near the Iinashi River mouth in Lake Nakaumi, western Japan, and reconstructed flooding records over the past 700 years from rock magnetism, grain‐size distribution and sediment geochemistry. The sediment core contained three black layers, characterized by high magnetic susceptibility, low anhysteretic remanent magnetization to saturation isothermal remanent magnetization ratio, high total organic carbon (TOC) to total nitrogen ratio, and coarse mean grain size, which we identified as possible flooding event deposits. Moreover, the chemical index of alteration was low and the TOC to total sulfur ratio was high in these layers, indicating intensified erosion associated with more freshwater inflow due to the flood events. We tentatively correlated the three event deposits with historical floods along the Iinashi River in AD 1596, 1666 and 1826. The variations in rock magnetic and geochemical properties suggest that the flooding in AD 1666 may have been the least extreme of the events detected in the core.

Magnetic mineral diagenesis in anoxic laminated sediments from the Southern Gulf of California

Diagenetic effects on the magnetic mineralogy in marine sediments have long been investigated, including oxidation/reduction reactions, magnetic dilution, formation of iron sulfides and oxides, magnetization acquisition mechanisms and reliability of the paleomagnetic record. This study investigates diagenetic effects in low-oxygen depositional environments characterized by recent and past magnetic mineral dissolution zones. We analyze a marine sequence from the Alfonso Basin in the southern Gulf of California in which the topmost sediments show diagenetic effects marked by high magnetic enhancement factors. The susceptibility logs show high values at the top sediments with well-defined small amplitude low frequency fluctuations down core. Magnetic hysteresis loops indicate low coercivity saturation, characteristic of magnetites and low-tititanomagnetites with varying paramagnetic contributions. Intensity of natural remanent, isothermal and anhysteretic magnetizations and coercivity parameters show similar variation patterns with depth. The anhysteretic remanence intensity-susceptibility ratio shows an inverse correlation to magnetic susceptibility, indicating varying concentration of fine grained single domain and superparamagnetic particles. The magnetic logs record diagenetic changes and magnetite authigenesis, with preserved recent and old dissolution zones marked by enriched single-domain/pseudo-singledomain/multi-domain magnetite in between the dissolution fronts. The oxidation/reduction processes relate to climatic and water/sediment interface factors controlling the dissolution processes, which occur in the Alfonso Basin anoxic conditions.

Mechanical anisotropies and mechanisms of mafic magma ascent in the middle continental crust: The Sondalo magmatic system (N Italy)

Magma transfer between lower and upper continental crust is a fundamental process linking the dominantly mafic composition of the lower crust with the more felsic composition of the upper crust. We explore the mechanisms of mafic magma ascent and emplacement in the middle crust by studying a mid-crustal gabbroic to dioritic magmatic system (Sondalo complex, Eastern Central Alps, N Italy). We characterize the structure and Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) fabric of concentric gabbroic to dioritic intrusions. The significance of AMS fabrics is discussed using Anisotropy of Anhysteretic Remanent Magnetization (AARM) and Crystallographic Preferred Orientation (CPO) data acquired on different test sites. The magmatic and magnetic fabrics of the pluton were acquired during its emplacement in the Permian and were not subsequently tilted: the fabrics are essentially vertical, indicating vertical magma transfer through the crust with a two-phase intrusion history. (1) The concordant orientation between the magmatic foliation and the host-rock xenoliths in the center of the pluton suggest that the first magma ascent phase occurred along pathways subparallel to the vertical fabric of the host metasedimentary rocks. (2) The second magma ascent phase was controlled by a change in the rheology of the host-rock and the mafic magma. Heat dissipation to the contact aureole induced partial melting, thereby lowering the mechanical strength of the host-rocks, whereas the viscosity of the mafic magma increased due to cooling and associated fractional crystallization. This caused an en-masse rise of the pluton resulting in the formation of a structural aureole, i.e. a vertical foliation in the contact aureole and a weaker but concordant magmatic foliation at the rim of the pluton. This ascent phase accounts for the P−T evolution recorded by metasedimentary rocks in the contact aureole of the pluton.

Magnetic Properties as a Proxy for Predicting Fine-Particle-Bound Heavy Metals in a Support Vector Machine Approach.

The development of a reasonable statistical method of predicting the concentrations of fine-particle-bound heavy metals remains challenging. In this study, daily PM2.5 samples were collected within four different seasons from a Chinese mega-city. The annual average PM2.5 concentrations determined in industrial, city center, and suburban areas were 90, 81, and 85 μg m-3, respectively. Environmental magnetic measurements, including magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, isothermal remanent magnetization, hysteresis loops, and thermomagnetism, indicated that the main magnetic mineral of PM2.5 is low-coercivity pseudosingle domain (PSD) magnetite. Using a support vector machine (SVM), both the volume- and mass-related concentrations of heavy metals were predicted by the PM2.5 mass concentrations and meteorological factors, with or without magnetic properties as input variables. The inclusion of magnetic variables significantly improved the prediction results for most heavy metals. Predictions based on models that included the magnetic properties of the metals Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Ti were promising, with R values of >0.8 in both the training and the test stages as well as relatively low errors. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of environmental magnetism in a SVM approach aids in the effective monitoring and assessment of airborne heavy-metal contamination in cities.

Rock magnetic and geochemical evidence for authigenic magnetite formation via iron reduction in coal‐bearing sediments offshore Shimokita Peninsula, Japan (IODP Site C0020)

AbstractSediments recovered at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0020, in a fore‐arc basin offshore Shimokita Peninsula, Japan, include numerous coal beds (0.3–7 m thick) that are associated with a transition from a terrestrial to marine depositional environment. Within the primary coal‐bearing unit (∼2 km depth below seafloor) there are sharp increases in magnetic susceptibility in close proximity to the coal beds, superimposed on a background of consistently low magnetic susceptibility throughout the remainder of the recovered stratigraphic sequence. We investigate the source of the magnetic susceptibility variability and characterize the dominant magnetic assemblage throughout the entire cored record, using isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM), thermal demagnetization, anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), iron speciation, and iron isotopes. Magnetic mineral assemblages in all samples are dominated by very low‐coercivity minerals with unblocking temperatures between 350 and 580°C that are interpreted to be magnetite. Samples with lower unblocking temperatures (300–400°C), higher ARM, higher‐frequency dependence, and isotopically heavy δ56Fe across a range of lithologies in the coal‐bearing unit (between 1925 and 1995 mbsf) indicate the presence of fine‐grained authigenic magnetite. We suggest that iron‐reducing bacteria facilitated the production of fine‐grained magnetite within the coal‐bearing unit during burial and interaction with pore waters. The coal/peat acted as a source of electron donors during burial, mediated by humic acids, to supply iron‐reducing bacteria in the surrounding siliciclastic sediments. These results indicate that coal‐bearing sediments may play an important role in iron cycling in subsiding peat environments and if buried deeply through time, within the subsequent deep biosphere.

The effect of speleothem surface slope on the remanent magnetic inclination

AbstractSpeleothems are of interest for high‐resolution reconstruction of the Earth's magnetic field. However, little is known about the influence of speleothem morphologies on their natural remanent magnetization (NRM) record. Here we report on a high‐resolution paleomagnetic study of a dome‐shaped speleothem of middle Holocene age from southern Portugal, with special attention to the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM). To assess the potential influence of the slope of the speleothem surface on the recorded remanent magnetization, we compare magnetic directions and AMS and AARM fabrics from subhorizontal to gradually subvertical calcite growth layers collected in a transversal cross section of the speleothem. A linear correlation is observed between magnetic inclinations, calcite laminae slope, and AARM k1 inclination. The AMS fabric is mostly controlled by calcite crystals, with direction of the minimum axes (k3) perpendicular to laminae growth. Magnetic inclinations recorded in inclined and vertical calcite growth layers are underestimated when compared to a global paleosecular variation (PSV) model. After extrapolating magnetic inclinations to the horizontal, the corrected data better fit the PSV model but are still lower than the predicted magnetic inclinations, suggesting that inclination shallowing affects the entire speleothem. We suggest that speleothem morphology exerts a critical role on the magnetic inclination recording, which is controlled by the Earth's magnetic field but also influenced by particle rolling along the sloping surfaces. These observations open new avenues for reconstructing high‐resolution paleomagnetic secular variation records from speleothems and provide new insights into their NRM acquisition mechanisms.

Comparative study on magnetic minerals of tidal flat deposits from different sediment sources in Jiangsu coast, Eastern China

Understanding the sources of sediments deposited in tidal flats is critical for reconstructing the evolution of coastal regions impacted by large rivers. Environmental magnetism can be an effective tool to track sediment sources and analyze the sediment properties. We evaluate several magnetic parameters from the tidal flat sediments along the Jiangsu coast. The results show that the sediments of Liandao Island have the lowest values of magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and saturation isothermal remanence magnetization (SIRM). In addition to these, the values of χ, ARM and SIRM display a generally increasing trend from the north to the south along the Jiangsu coast. The strong relations between χ, ARM and SIRM show that the changes of magnetization of the tidal flat sediments mainly reflect the changes of concentration rather than those in grain sizes of magnetic particles. The main magnetic phase is magnetite, with a small amount of hematite. The strong relationship between χ and the 2-16 μm grain-size fraction suggests that magnetite is enriched in the finer silt fraction. The sediment sources is the main factor that influences the magnetic properties of the tidal flat sediments from the Jiangsu coast. Combined with the previous studies, the results indicate that the tidal flat sediments of Liandao Island were mainly derived from the nearshore rock weathering. The Yellow River is the dominant supplier for the north of Dafeng, while the Yangtze River is the dominant supplier for the south of Rudong. The coast between Dafeng and Rudong is a transition zone influenced by both rivers. This study provides a basis against which possible future variations in sediment composition resulting from catchment changes can be assessed.

Application of magnetic methods for assessment of soil restoration in the vicinity of metallurgical copper-processing plant in Bulgaria.

Copper ore mining and processing are among the most harmful anthropogenic influences for the environment and they are a subject of international and national law regulations. Recultivation of areas influenced by mining and processing industry is commonly applied and monitored in order to restore as much as possible the natural environment. In this study, environmental magnetic methods are applied in order to assess the degree of soil restoration in terms of soil development, after remediation of waste dump from Cu-processing plant. Soils developed under birch forest stands of different age (5, 15, and 25years) as well as raw waste material were sampled along depth down to 20-30cm. Variations in magnetic parameters and ratios obtained (magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanence (ARM), isothermal remanence (IRM), ARM/IRM100mT) suggest the presence of magnetic enhancement in the upper 0-15cm, the thickness of this layer varying depending on the age of the forest stand. Magnetic mineral responsible for this enhancement is of magnetite type, while waste material contains a large amount of hematite, as evidenced by coercivity analysis of IRM acquisition curves and thermal demagnetization of composite IRM. Magnetic grain-sized proxy parameters suggest that magnetite particles are coarser, magnetically stable, while no or minor amount of superparamagnetic grains were detected at room temperature. A well-defined linear regression between the topsoil magnetic susceptibility and the approximate age of the forest stand provides an indication that the magnetic enhancement is of pedogenic origin. It is concluded that the observed magnetic enhancement of recultivated soils studied is linked to a combined effect of pedogenic contribution and possible additions of industrial ashes as a liming agent for soil restoration.

Nonheating methods for absolute paleointensity determination: Comparison and calibration using synthetic and natural magnetite‐bearing samples

AbstractNonheating paleointensity methods utilize an anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) or a saturation isothermal remanent magnetization to model the natural thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) to avoid heating‐induced alteration. We report the results of paleointensity experiments using the ARM, pseudo‐Thellier, and ratio of equivalent magnetization (REM) methods conducted to investigate their relative efficiency in recovering the true paleofield strength and to provide additional estimates of their calibration factors. The experiments on synthetic magnetite‐bearing samples representing single‐domain (SD) and pseudo‐single‐domain (PSD) magnetic states indicated that the correction factors for the ARM‐based methods depend on the magnetic grain size/domain state changing from ~6.3 (for SD grains) to ~4.1 (for ~1.5 µm PSD grains). The pseudo‐Thellier method yielded correct absolute paleointensity values when normalization by the TRM/ARM demagnetization slope was used. When applied to samples of lava flows and dikes from the ~32 kyr Lemptégy volcano (France), both the ARM and pseudo‐Thellier methods produced similar paleointensity estimates (28.0 ± 5.1 μT and 26.9 ± 4.7 μT, respectively) consistent with the available Thellier data for the 31–33 kyr time interval. The correction factors estimated from our synthetic samples for the REM (~3000) and for REMc (~1500) and REM′ (~1500) variants are consistent with the previously published estimates. However, all REM variants yielded unrealistically high estimates (&gt;110 μT) of the paleofield strength from our natural samples. Our experimental results support ARM as a better proxy of TRM and suggest that the ARM‐based methods currently represent the best alternative to heating‐based absolute paleointensity method.

Composition law of oblique anhysteretic remanent magnetization and its relation to the magnetostatic interaction

AbstractThe basic properties of oblique anhysteretic remanent magnetization (OARM) acquired in a weak and steady magnetic field with an arbitrary angle to the alternating field direction were studied. OARM and rock‐magnetic experiments were conducted on samples of basalt, granite, and sediment containing noninteracting single domain (SD), interacting SD, pseudo‐single‐domain, and multidomain low‐Ti titanomagnetites. The intensity of OARM (MOARM) systematically increased or decreased with increasing angle between alternating and steady field directions (θSF), while the angle between alternating field and OARM directions (θOARM) increased with increasing θSF for all samples. During stepwise alternating field demagnetization, the OARM vector shows a single component parallel to the steady field direction for θSF = 0° (ARMǁ) and 90° (ARM⊥). The median destructive field of ARM⊥ is larger than that of ARMǁ. For intermediate angles (θSF = 30°, 45°, and 60°), the OARM vector did not parallel the applied steady field but gradually increased θOARM with higher coercivity. These experiments indicate that the OARM vector is approximately given by the sum of two orthogonal magnetizations coinciding with ARMǁ and ARM⊥, respectively. Thus, the OARM vector can be determined by acquisition efficiencies of ARMǁ and ARM⊥ in an individual sample. Based on these experiments and associated rock‐magnetic measurements, noninteracting SD samples show lower ARM⊥/ARMǁ ratios, compared to other samples. This result suggests that OARM can be used as a useful tool to detect noninteracting SD particles in the paleomagnetic samples.

Effect of magnetic anisotropy on the natural remanent magnetization in the MCU IVe' layer of the Bjerkreim Sokndal Layered Intrusion, Rogaland, Southern Norway

AbstractA strong negative magnetic anomaly, caused by an intense natural remanent magnetization (NRM) approximately opposite today's geomagnetic field, is observed above the MCU IVe' unit of the Bjerkreim Sokndal Layered Intrusion. The anomaly is strongest in the east, close to Heskestad, and decreases when following the layer toward the north and west. This study investigates how the NRM changes along the layer and how its direction and intensity are affected by magnetic fabrics in the intrusion. NRM, low‐field anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence have been measured on 371 specimens from 46 sites. The orientation of both the magnetic fabrics and the NRM changes for different locations along the layer, and it appears that the NRM is tilted away from the mean paleofield and toward the direction of maximum susceptibility and maximum anhysteretic remanence. When NRM directions are corrected for magnetic fabrics, the angle between the NRM and mean paleofield direction generally decreases for specimens with a single‐component NRM. No correlation was found between the NRM intensity and the directional relationship between NRM, magnetic fabric, and mean paleofield.

Inverse magnetic fabric in unconsolidated sandy event deposits in Kiritappu Marsh, Hokkaido, Japan

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence magnetization (AARM) were evaluated for samples collected from units of two unconsolidated sandy event layers, presumed to be paleo-tsunami deposits, from Kiritappu Marsh, northeastern Japan. The AARM technique isolates the fabric of fine-grained (titano)magnetite from AMS fabric of all minerals in deposits. Bulk susceptibilities of the older event layer were weaker than those of the younger event layer. Our AMS results show that the principal minimum AMS axes (Kmin) were distributed along the horizontal bedding plane, suggesting the presence of an AMS “inverse fabric” where magnetic axes are interchanged. Our AARM results indicated the principal maximum AARM axes (kmax) are parallel to the AMS Kmin, whereas the AARM intermediate and minimum axes (kint and kmin) are related to the AMS Kmax and Kint. Moreover, the shape of anisotropy parameters revealed that the AMS is oblate (Kmax≈Kint), whereas the AARM is prolate (kint≈kmin). We found the presence of single-domain sized titanomagnetites in the mud matrix based on electron microscopy observations. AARM is regarded as a complementary tool to estimate paleocurrent directions using grain fabrics of unconsolidated sediments. However, these lines of evidence confirm that our AMS fabrics showed “inverse fabric”, providing no information about flow directions at this locality. Although this effect is uncommon in soft sediments, it requires caution to estimate paleocurrent directions using AMS.