Archeointensity Data Research Articles

Evidence for rapid geomagnetic field intensity variations in Western Europe over the past 800 years from new French archeointensity data

The number of reliable archeointensity determinations obtained from Western Europe for the past millennium remains limited. Moreover, the large scatter between different datasets available is puzzling. The present study analyzed 31 new groups of baked clay (ceramic or brick) fragments sampled in France (29 groups) and in Belgium (2 groups). These groups contain several fragments collected from different artefacts and are precisely dated principally from historical constraints between the XIIIth and the XIXth centuries. Additionally, we re-evaluated 14 intensity values that we previously obtained from the same time period. The fragments were analyzed using two different thermal methods: (1) the “in field-zero field” (IZ) or the IZZI version of the classical Thellier and Thellier method and (2) the Triaxe protocol that involves high-temperature magnetization measurements. Data were corrected for the anisotropy of thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) and the dependence of TRM acquisition on the cooling rate was taken into account in the different protocols. Archeointensity data obtained on twin specimens sampled from the same fragment and using both experimental techniques generally show a good agreement (i.e. within 5%) at the fragment and at the site level. All retained site-level averaged intensity results (43 of 45 groups) have standard deviations of less than 5 µT. Furthermore, groups of approximately the same age have very consistent archeointensity. Altogether, the data presented herein recover a detailed and smoothed geomagnetic field intensity variation curve characterized by two peaks in intensity, the first during the second half of the XIVth century and the second around AD 1600, followed by a significant decreasing trend in intensity during most the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries. This evolution does not satisfactorily fit with the expected intensity values for France derived from geomagnetic field models relying on a different evolution of the axial dipole moment. Our results lead us to propose that the axial dipole moment decreased from AD 1600 to the end of the XVIIIth century, then slightly increased up to ~ AD 1850 before decreasing again to present day.

First archeointensity results from Portuguese potteries (1550-1750 AD)

Abstract Geomagnetic field variations at archeomagnetic timescales can be obtained from well-dated heated structures and archeological potsherds. Here, we present the first archeointensity results obtained on Portuguese ceramics (1550 to 1750 AD) collected at Brazilian archeological sites. The results are compared to those obtained from Western Europe and currently available geomagnetic field models. Continuous thermomagnetic and IRM acquisitions curves indicate that Ti-poor titanomagnetite is responsible for the remanence in these ceramic fragments. Five fragments (24 samples) out of twelve analyzed yielded reliable intensity estimates. The row archeointensity data were corrected for TRM anisotropy and cooling rate effect. The mean dipole moments are obtained for three different age intervals: 1550±30 AD, 1600±30 AD and 1750±50 AD. Mean intensities vary from 37.9±4.2 μT to 54.8±7.6 μT in agreement with the previously reported data for 1550 AD and 1750 AD. Relatively weaker, but still highly dispersed, values were obtained for 1600 AD ceramics.

New archeointensity data from Spain and the geomagnetic dipole moment in western Europe over the past 2000 years

Archeomagnetic studies on 14 kilns, a group of jar fragments, and a collection of baked bricks dated between 1000 and 1959 AD plus one Roman pottery kiln have been conducted in order to obtain high‐quality archeointensity data to enhance the western European database. The Thellier method with corrections for anisotropy of thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) and for cooling rate dependence upon TRM acquisition was used. The effect of TRM anisotropy is only important for the bricks where the corrected and uncorrected mean intensities differ by more than 5%. Cooling rate correction factors determined per sample are up to 15% and per site up to 7.7%. Our 17 new data together with 62 previously published results were used to obtain, by Bayesian modeling, the geomagnetic field intensity over the past two millennia for western Europe. Our results indicate that geomagnetic intensity remained more or less constant between the 1st and 4th centuries and between the 14th and 16th centuries (mean values, at Paris, around 65 and 57 μT, respectively), whereas an important decrease occurs between 1600 and 1800 AD. The detailed evolution of geomagnetic field intensity during the High Middle Ages is not yet well established. Despite their differences, geomagnetic global models predict our results reasonably well. This work indicates the need to obtain a number of archeointensity data for each time interval in order to reliably record variations of the geomagnetic field and to test whether any relationship exists between field intensity and climate.

Does Earth's magnetic field secular variation control centennial climate change?

We obtained new archeointensity data from French faience potsherds dated from the 17th to 19th century. These results further document the occurrence of sharp changes in geomagnetic field secular variation in Western Europe over the past three millennia. The intensity variation curve shows several maxima whose rising parts appear to coincide in time with the occurrence of cooling events documented in this region from natural and historical data. This coincidence suggests a causal link between enhanced secular variation of the geomagnetic field and climate change over centennial time scales, challenging the role of solar forcing as the sole factor provoking these climatic variations. We propose that the archeomagnetic jerks described by Gallet et al. [1] [Y. Gallet, A. Genevey, V. Courtillot, On the possible occurrence of archeomagnetic jerks in the geomagnetic field over the past three millennia, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 214 (2003) 237–242.] may engage the mechanism for centennial climate change.

Continuous geomagnetic field models for the past 7 millennia: 2. CALS7K

We present two continuous global geomagnetic field models for recent millennia: CALS3K.2, covering the past 3000 years, and CALS7K.2, covering 7000 years from 5000 BC to 1950 AD. The models were determined by regularized least squares inversion of archeomagnetic and paleomagnetic data using spherical harmonics in space and cubic B splines in time. They are derived from a greatly increased number of paleomagnetic directional data, compared to previous efforts, and for the first time a significant amount of archeointensity data is used in this kind of global model, allowing the determination of evolution of geomagnetic dipole strength. While data accuracy and dating uncertainties remain a limitation, reliable low‐resolution global models can be obtained. The results agree well with previous results from virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) studies from archeomagnetic intensity data apart from a systematic offset in strength. A comparison of model predictions with the previous 3000 year model, CALS3K.1, gives general agreement but also some significant differences particularly for the early epochs. The new models suggest that the prominent two northern hemisphere flux lobes are more stationary than CALS3K.1 implied, extending considerably the time span of stationary flux lobes observed in historical models. Between 5000 BC and 2000 BC there are time intervals of weak dipole moment where dipole power is exceeded by low‐degree nondipole power at the core‐mantle boundary. Model coefficients and evaluation code can be obtained from the EarthRef Digital Archive (ERDA) together with animations and snapshots plots for every 100 years at http://www.earthref.org. Detailed URLs for the different material are listed in Appendix A.

Intensity of the geomagnetic field in western Europe over the past 2000 years: New data from ancient French pottery

We studied 14 groups of French pottery fragments dated between the 4th and 16th centuries. The potsherds were analyzed using the Thellier and Thellier [1959] method, revised by Coe [1967]. Intensity values were corrected for thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) anisotropy and cooling rate dependence of TRM acquisition. We first analyzed modern ceramics produced following ancient techniques and fired in a wood‐burning kiln inside of which field intensity was measured. The recovered mean intensity is within ∼3% of the expected value, which proves the reliability of our experimental procedure. Thermal experiments carried out at rapid and slow cooling rates clearly indicate that the cooling rate correction is critical in archeointensity studies. Our data indicate that large variations in intensity occurred in France over the last 2000 years. Two relative maxima in intensity are observed, one between the 8th and 10th centuries and the second between the 14th and 15th centuries. Similarities are observed between the archeointensity data from France and Ukraine, yielding some evidence for eastward drift of geomagnetic sources between western and eastern Europe from A.D. 800 to A.D. 1700. We also show that the dipole moment evolution proposed by McElhinny and Senanayake [1982] and Yang et al. [2000] for the last two millennia is likely biased toward higher values, mainly because of the absence of correction for the cooling rate dependence of TRM acquisition in most published archeointensity studies. We finally underline a possible relationship, valid at least in western Europe, between changes in direction and intensity of the geomagnetic field.