Strong Remanent Magnetization Research Articles

Ultra-compact microring optical isolator using an aluminum-substituted cobalt ferrite thin film

Yttrium iron garnets, which are typically used as magneto-optical isolators, are not suitable for monolithic integration with photonic circuits. We experimentally demonstrated an ultracompact microring optical isolator using an aluminum-substituted cobalt ferrite (CAFO) thin film directly deposited on silicon waveguides. The device footprint was only 43×71µm2. The isolator can operate without an external magnet owing to the strong remanent magnetization of the CAFO film and achieved a maximum isolation ratio of 24.7 dB at a wavelength of 1545.7 nm. Our study could facilitate integration of nonreciprocal photonic devices on Si platforms.

Gd-doped bismuth ferrite nanocomposite: A promising candidate for piezocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and pathogenic E. coli

This work portrays a detailed depiction of degrading two separate carcinogenic organic dyes (Rhodamine B and Eriochrome black T) along with the ablation of pathogenic E. coli bacteria by employing a gadolinium-doped bismuth ferrite (GBF) piezo catalyst. The piezo catalyst has been prepared by a facile two-step solvothermal route and characterized for structural, morphological, elemental, and overall polarization properties. An irregular cubic structure is found (∼15-50 nm), confirming the nano-scale nature of the synthesized samples. Notably, the synthesized nano powder exhibits high remnant polarization (0.92 μC cm−2) which is further confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT). Such tremendously high polarizability has been further exploited to eradicate both dyes. Under the soft ultrasound stimulation (15 kHz), the piezo catalyst (GBF1) shows an extraordinary degradation efficiency (97.6% for RhB and 91.3% for EBT). The reusability of the piezo catalyst has been checked for several cycles, and after the cyclic test, post-analysis of the sample has also been done which indicates the stability of the catalyst very well. Moreover, a remarkable antibacterial activity has been found for the GBF1 sample having a mortality of almost ∼ 99.33% in 30 mins. Additionally, the strong remanent magnetization of the catalyst (10.564×10−4 emu/g) makes the extraction of the catalyst possible by using a simple magnetic field. This extraction method has significant potential for rapidly cleaning waterbodies to prevent secondary pollution. Henceforth, the as-synthesized piezo catalyst (GBF1) could aid in future water treatment projects and can be translated from the bench to the bedside, if properly improvised.

Novel Rare Earth (RE)-Free Nanocomposite Magnets Derived from L10-Phase Systems.

In the quest for novel rare earth (RE)-free magnetic materials, which also exhibit other additional properties such as good corrosion resistance and potential to operate at higher temperatures, an alloy deriving from the binary FePt system, with Mo and B addition, has been synthesized for the first time, using the out-of-equilibrium method of rapid solidification form the melt. The alloy with the composition Fe49Pt26Mo2B23 has been subjected to thermal analysis through differential scanning calorimetry in order to detect the structural disorder - order phase transformation as well as to study the crystallization processes. For the stabilization of the formed hard magnetic phase, the sample has been annealed at 600 °C and further structurally and magnetically characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry as well as magnetometry experiments. It has been proven that after annealing at 600 °C the tetragonal hard magnetic L10 phase emerges via crystallization from a disordered cubic precursor and becomes the predominant phase in terms of relative abundance. Moreover, it has been revealed by quantitative analysis via Mössbauer spectroscopy that the annealed sample exhibits a complex phase structure, where the L10 hard magnetic phase is accompanied by few other soft magnetic phases, in minority abundance: the cubic A1, orthorhombic Fe2B and residual intergranular region. The magnetic parameters have been derived from 300 K hysteresis loops. It was shown that, contrary to the as-cast sample which behaves as a typical soft magnet, the annealed sample presents strong coercivity and high remanent magnetization, accompanied by a large saturation magnetization. These findings offers good insight into the potential developing of novel class of RE-free permanent magnets, based on Fe-Pt-Mo-B, where the magnetic performance emerges from the co-existence of hard and soft magnetic phases in controlled and tunable proportions, capable of finding good applicability in fields requiring good catalytic properties and strong corrosion resistance.

High-precision magnetization vector inversion: application to magnetic data in the presence of significant remanent magnetization

Abstract Magnetization vector inversion is essential for obtaining magnetization vector information from subsurface rocks. To obtain focused inversion results that better match the true magnetization distributions, sparse constraints are considered to constrain the objective function. A compact magnetization vector inversion method is proposed that can provide accurate inversion results for magnetic data with significant remanent magnetization. Considering the sparse constraint and the correlation between the three magnetization components with different directions, the L1-norm is modified and introduced into the inversion algorithm to obtain compact results. Furthermore, to reduce the computational cost, a randomized singular value decomposition is used to replace the traditional singular value decomposition and iteratively minimize the proposed objective function. Two synthetic models with different magnetization directions are developed to verify the performance of the proposed method. The results of magnetization vectors obtained by the proposed method are focused and accurate. Finally, the proposed method is applied to igneous rocks with strong remanent magnetization in the Haba River area of northwestern China. The distributions, directions of total magnetization and remanent magnetization of the medium-base igneous rocks are revealed by the sparse magnetization vector inversion method, which provides a wealth of information about the concealed deposits in the area.

Depth of Martian Magnetization From Localized Power Spectrum Analysis

AbstractMagnetic field measurements show that Mars possesses strong crustal magnetic anomalies that formed when the planet had an active dynamo. To investigate the origin of this magnetization, we used localized power spectrum analyses to constrain the equivalent depths of thin magnetic layers in the crust. Using a new martian magnetic field model that incorporates data from both the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN and Mars Global Surveyor missions, we found that the equivalent magnetization depths on Mars vary from the surface to 72 km. In the northern hemisphere the magnetization depths are found to be on average 9 km, whereas in the southern hemisphere the depths are on average 32 km. If these depths are interpreted in terms of a thick magnetic layer, magnetization in the northern lowlands could extend from the surface to about 18 km depth, whereas for the southern highlands the magnetic layer could extend from about 20 km depth to the base of the crust. The strongest magnetic anomalies are, in general, associated with deep source depths. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis where strong primordial magnetic materials of the northern hemisphere were excavated from the Borealis impact basin, leaving only strong deep remanent magnetization in the southern hemisphere.

Amplitude of the magnetic anomaly vector in the interpretation of total-field anomaly at low magnetic latitudes

We propose the use of the amplitude of the magnetic anomaly vector (amplitude data) for qualitative interpretation of large areas at low magnetic latitudes. The amplitude data are weakly dependent on the magnetization direction. Hence, the amplitude data require no prior knowledge of the source magnetization direction. The amplitude data produce maxima over the causative sources, allowing the definition of the horizontal projections of the sources. This characteristic is attractive for interpretation at low magnetic latitudes because at these regions the interpretation of the total-field anomaly is not straightforward. We compute the amplitude data using the equivalent-layer technique to transform the total-field anomaly into the three orthogonal components of the magnetic anomaly vector. We analyze the results of tests in synthetic data simulating a main geomagnetic field at high, mid and low latitudes, with sources ranging from symmetric to elongated forms, including a dipping source. These sources, that give rise to the simulated anomalies, have both induced and strong remanent magnetizations. By comparing the amplitude data with the total gradient, we show that the amplitude data locate the horizontal projections of the sources. Thus, the amplitude data can be used to delineate the boundaries of the sources. We apply both the amplitude data and the total gradient to a real total-field anomaly over a large area of the Amazonian Craton, northern Brazil, located at low magnetic latitudes. The amplitude data show a better performance in delineating geologic bodies that are in agreement with the outcropping intrusions in the geologic map. Moreover, the amplitude data revealed new geologic bodies that were not present in the geologic map. The clear alignment of these new bodies with the outcropping intrusions suggested the continuity of these intrusions in depth. This result is a step forward in understanding this area for which the geology is poorly known. Hence, the amplitude data can provide an apparent-geologic map especially in areas at low latitudes with remanently magnetized bodies.

Ground Magnetic Surveying and Susceptibility Mapping Across Weathered Basalt Dikes Reveal Soil Creep and Pedoturbation

Ground magnetic survey profiles across a soil-covered and weathered mafic dike in sedimentary host rock not only permit to delineate the strike, width and burial depth of the intrusive basalt sheet, but also reflect the subsurface deformation of its clayey weathering products. We illustrate this finding and its practical geomorphological applicability by an example from the mid-German Heldburg Dike Swarm, where blue- and olive-gray basalt-derived clays inherited not just the dike space previously occupied by the basalt, but also large parts of its magnetic iron minerals and their strong induced and remanent magnetization. Such ductile basaltic “marker soils” deform and move with the surrounding low-magnetic host soils, but remain distinguishable by their contrasting colors and high magnetic susceptibility. Ground magnetic surveys can therefore delineate soil creep distance at meter- and basalt weathering depth at decimeter-precision. Magnetic mapping of a weathered dike’s cross-section from an exploration trench by in-situ susceptometry permits to analyze past soil deformation in great detail. Weathering and solifluction transforms the simple “vertical sheet” anomalies of dikes into complex, but still interpretable composite patterns, providing a new and promising exploratory approach for field studies concerned with soil creep and pedoturbation.

Inversion and magnetization homogeneity testing for 2D magnetic sources

Many approaches to magnetic data inversion are based on assumptions that source magnetization is homogeneous in direction and intensity. Such assumptions rarely can be verified with independent geologic information and are usually incorporated without further inquiry in the next steps of data interpretation. The use of magnetization direction invariants, such as the gradient intensity of the total field anomaly (equivalent to the amplitude of the analytical signal [ASA]) and the intensity of the anomalous vector field (IAVF), is effective for modeling sources with strong remanent magnetization, usually with unknown direction. Even in such cases, however, the assumption of uniform magnetization is understood but unchecked when seeking smooth or compact solutions from data inversion. We have developed a procedure to test the assumption of uniform magnetization for 2D sources. For true 2D homogeneous sources, the ratio of ASA to IAVF can be modeled with a binary solution (0 and 1) regardless of the real value of the magnetization. A procedure to provide convergence was applied, and its output solution was submitted to a binary test to verify the uniformity hypothesis. This technique was illustrated with numerical simulations and then used to reinterpret a ground magnetic profile across an intrusive diabase body in sediments of the Paraná Basin, Brazil, revealing the existence of two adjacent bodies that are homogeneous with different magnetization intensities.

Poisson magnetization-to-density-ratio and magnetization inclination properties of banded iron formations of the Carajás mineral province from processing airborne gravity and magnetic data

According to the Poisson theorem, gravity and magnetic fields arising from geologic bodies that share common sources, with a uniform magnetization-to-density ratio (MDR) and a uniform magnetization direction, are related by a linear transformation that allows each field to be calculated from the other. Provided that these conditions on the sources are met, when the gravity and magnetic data are available over an area, the Poisson theorem can be used to infer the MDRs and magnetization directions of sources from their associated gravity and magnetic anomalies. These conditions are partially met in many geologic structures but are expected in iron ore deposits, usually associated with strongly magnetic and highly dense formations. Due to the importance of iron ore as a global commodity, most mineral provinces of the world have been investigated by accurate gravity and magnetic sensors, providing a reliable database, but they have not yet been explored with joint interpretation based on Poisson’s relationships. We have interpreted a gravity-magnetic survey covering the Serra Sul of the Carajás Mineral Province, Brazil, where world-class iron deposits are found. We have adapted a formulation formerly developed to estimate the MDR and the magnetization inclination (MI) from profile data to process gridded data sets. Due to faulting and folding, the same density and magnetic structure may assume different strike directions, requiring corrections to improve MDR and MI estimates. Because the geomagnetic field inclination in the studied area is very low (−6.7°), a procedure for stable computation of the components of the anomalous magnetic field vector is applied. The inferences for Serra Sul MDR suggest minor variations for the entire 30 km long formation containing the mineralized bodies, the strong remanent magnetization showing reverse polarity for banded iron formation segments of the Carajás Serra Sul.

Nanowire Magnetic Force Sensors Fabricated by Focused-Electron-Beam-Induced Deposition

We demonstrate the use of individual magnetic nanowires (NWs), grown by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID), as scanning magnetic force sensors. Measurements of their mechanical susceptibility, thermal motion, and magnetic response show that the NWs posses high-quality flexural mechanical modes and a strong remanent magnetization pointing along their long axis. Together, these properties make the NWs excellent sensors of weak magnetic field patterns, as confirmed by calibration measurements on a micron-sized current-carrying wire and magnetic scanning probe images of a permalloy disk. The flexibility of FEBID in terms of the composition, geometry, and growth location of the resulting NWs, makes it ideal for fabricating scanning probes specifically designed for imaging subtle patterns of magnetization or current density.

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Co40Fe40V20 Thin Films.

This study investigated the structure and magnetic properties of Co40Fe40V20 thin films with a thicknesses (tf) of 10 nm to 100 nm on a glass substrate. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the CoFeV films demonstrated a significant crystalline body-centered cubic (BCC) CoFe (110) structure when the thickness was between 60 and 100 nm, and an amorphous status were shown when the thickness was from 10 to 50 nm. The strongest crystalline XRD peak was at 60 nm because it had a continuous mode of film growth and induced a large grain distribution. The low-frequency alternating current magnetic susceptibility (ϰac) property decreased when the frequency increased. The lowest ϰac value was detected at 60 nm owing to the large grain distribution inducing high coercivity (Hc) and then enhancing the spin coupling strength. The external field (Hext) was difficult to rotate spin state, then deduces the spin sensitivity and ϰac value is decreased. The highest ϰac meant the spin sensitivity was maximized at the optimal resonance frequency. The 50-mm thickness had the highest ϰac 0.045 value at an fres of 100 Hz. The fres value was less than 1000 Hz at all CoFeV thicknesses, suggesting that CoFeV films would be suitable for low-frequency magnetic component applications. Moreover, the saturation magnetization (Ms) revealed a thickness effect when the thicknesses had a larger Ms. The Hc values were between 3 Oe and 10 Oe at all CoFeV films, except for 60 nm. The Hc of the 60 nm film was about 80 Oe due to the larger grain distribution, and it induced strong remanent magnetization (Mr) and a larger squareness ratio (Mr/Ms) of 92%. The results of the magnetic measurement showed that the 60 nm Co40Fe40V20 film had greater Hc and a good squareness ratio.

Constrained 3D inversion of magnetic data with structural orientation and borehole lithology: A case study in the Macheng iron deposit, Hebei, China

We have developed a case study on the use of constrained inversion of magnetic data for recovering ore bodies quantitatively in the Macheng iron deposit, China. The inversion is constrained by the structural orientation and the borehole lithology in the presence of high magnetic susceptibility and strong remanent magnetization. Either the self-demagnetization effect caused by high susceptibility or strong remanent magnetization would lead to an unknown total magnetization direction. Here, we chose inversion of amplitude data that indicate low sensitivity to the direction of magnetization of the sources when constructing the underground model of effective susceptibility. To reduce the errors that arise when treating the total-field anomaly as the projection of an anomalous field vector in the direction of the geomagnetic reference field, we develop an equivalent source technique to calculate the amplitude data from the total-field anomaly. This equivalent source technique is based on the acquisition of the total-field anomaly, which uses the total-field intensity minus the magnitude of the reference field. We first design a synthetic model from a simplified real case to test the new approach, involving the amplitude data calculation and the constrained amplitude inversion. Then, we apply this approach to the real data. The results indicate that the structural orientation and borehole susceptibility bounds are compatible with each other and are able to improve the quality of the recovered model to obtain the distribution of ore bodies quantitatively and effectively.

Holocene chronostratigraphy of northeastern Baffin Bay based on radiocarbon and palaeomagnetic data

The northeastern Baffin Bay continental margin, which experiences high sediment accumulation rates, is an excellent location to study Holocene sedimentary variations. However, it is often difficult to obtain reliable chronologies of the sediment archives using traditional methods (d 18 O and radiocarbon) due to specific oceanographic conditions (e.g. corrosive bottom waters). Here we propose a chronostratigraphy of three cores collected on the northwestern Greenland margin (AMD14-204, AMD14-210 and AMD14-Kane2B) based on a combination of radiocarbon dating and palaeomagnetic records. Geophysical properties of discrete samples were used to verify the reliability of the palaeomagnetic records. Palaeomagnetic analyses indicate a strong and stable natural remanent magnetization carried by low coercivity ferrimagnetic minerals (magnetite) in the pseudo-single domain grain size range. Correlation of the full palaeomagnetic vector (inclination, declination, and relative palaeointensity) was used to establish a reliable chronostratigraphical framework for two of the cores (AMD14-204 and AMD14-210) and to propose an original palaeomagnetic record for the previously 14 C-dated core AMD14-Kane2B that covers most of the Holocene. Overall, this new chronostratigraphy allowed improvement of the timing of the main palaeoenvi-ronmental changes that occurred in this area during the Holocene.

Deposition and patterning of magnetic atom trap lattices in FePt films with periods down to 200 nm

We report on the epitaxial growth and the characterization of thin FePt films and the subsequent patterning of magnetic lattice structures. These structures can be used to trap ultracold atoms for quantum simulation experiments. We use Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) to deposit monocrystalline FePt films with a thickness of 50 nm. The films are characterized with X-ray scattering and Mossbauer spectroscopy to determine the long range order parameter and the hard magnetic axes. A high monocrystalline fraction was measured as well as a strong remanent magnetization of M = 900 kA/m and coercivity of 0.4 T. Using Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and argon ion milling we create lattice patterns with a period down to 200 nm, and a resolution of 30 nm. The resulting lattices are imaged in a Scanning Electron Microscope in cross-section created by a Focused Ion Beam. A lattice with continuously varying lattice constant ranging from 5 micrometer down to 250nm has been created to show the wide range of length scales that can now be created with this technique.

Paleopole Reconstruction of Martian Magnetic Field Anomalies

AbstractThe crust of Mars shows strong remanent magnetization, which was likely acquired during the early phases of planetary evolution when a core dynamo still operated. The direction of the field responsible for magnetizing the crust holds clues to the working of the dynamo and the rotational dynamics of the planet. By analyzing individual crustal magnetic field anomalies and with the aid of additional assumptions, the field orientations can be reconstructed. We have implemented an Equivalent Source Dipole method to determine the main field orientation during magnetization, assuming that the considered anomalies are unidirectionally magnetized without making specific assumptions about the source geometry. The available data are fit in a least squares sense, and the method yields confidence intervals for the admissible paleopole locations. The method was applied to six crustal magnetic field anomalies, two of which require a south pole in the northern hemisphere, while three indicate a south pole in the southern hemisphere. This implies that polar reversals took place at least once in Martian history. Furthermore, one of the investigated anomalies requires a south pole at equatorial to midlatitudes, indicating that a significant amount of true polar wander must have occurred on Mars. Finally, tests with synthetic data indicate that admissible paleopole locations typically spread across at least 25% of the planet, which may partially explain the scatter found in previously published paleopole studies.

The Role of ε-Fe2O3 Nano-Mineral and Domains in Enhancing Magnetic Coercivity: Implications for the Natural Remanent Magnetization

A natural ε-Fe2O3 nano-mineral (luogufengite) has been discovered in young basaltic rocks around the world. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observed euhedral or subhedral luogufengite nano-minerals with crystal sizes ranging from 10 to 120 nm in the basaltic rocks. The magnetic property of treated scoria sample (containing 75.3(5) wt % luogufengite) showed a saturation remanence of 11.3 emu g−1 with a coercive field of 0.17 tesla (T) at room temperature. Luogufengite-like nano-domains were also observed in natural permanent magnets (lodestone) and Fe-Ti oxides (ilmenite-magnetite series) with strong remanent magnetization. The structure of luogufengite-like domains (double hexagonal close-packing) is associated with the interfaces between the (111) plane of cubic magnetite and the (0001) plane of rhombohedral hematite or ilmenite. Stacking faults and twin boundaries of magnetite/maghemite can also produce the luogufengite-like domains. The nano-domains oriented along the magnetic easy axis play an essential role in enhancing the magnetic coercivity of lodestone and Fe-Ti oxide. We conclude that the luogufengite nano-minerals and nano-domains provide an explanation for coercivity and strong remanent magnetization in igneous, metamorphic rocks and even some reported Martian rocks. These nano-scaled multilayer structures extend our knowledge of magnetism and help us to understand the diverse magnetic anomalies occurring on Earth and other planetary bodies.

Numerical evaluation of active source magnetics as a method for imaging high-resolution near-surface magnetic heterogeneity

We have evaluated a geophysical method that uses a low-frequency magnetic source to image subsurface magnetic heterogeneity. This active source approach can be used to image magnetic features at higher resolutions than the conventional passive geomagnetic method. Importantly, this frequency-domain active source approach is independent of the effects of remanent magnetization, which complicates the interpretation of geomagnetic data. We carried out forward modeling of frequency-domain electromagnetic (EM) data and we found that, at frequencies of a few hertz, the magnetostatic response due to the induced magnetization dominates the EM induction response. The result suggests that it is possible to make magnetic interpretation of low-frequency EM data without having to consider the conductivity structure and the corresponding EM induction effect. We compare the anomalous magnetic responses with magnetic noise components and find that the proposed active source magnetic (ASM) method has a depth of investigation of approximately 300 m. Free-space field and inductive noise are considered as the most important issues affecting the depth of investigation. We also determine the potential for linear interpretation of magnetic heterogeneity under 0.1 SI by showing that the low-frequency magnetic response can be approximated by a linear magnetic response. In our synthetic experiments, inversion of the ASM data shows a marked enhancement in resolution, with no effect of the remanent magnetization, in contrast to geomagnetic inversion. These results show that the ASM method is a useful geophysical tool, especially when high-resolution imaging of magnetic susceptibility is required or where strong remanent magnetization complicates the magnetic interpretation.

Apparent magnetization mapping in the presence of strong remanent magnetization: The space-domain inversion approach

Apparent magnetization mapping is a technique to estimate magnetization distribution in the subsurface magnetic layer from the observed magnetic data, of benefit in identifying lithologic units and delineating magnetic geologic boundaries. The conventional approaches for apparent magnetization mapping usually neglect effects of remanence, resulting in large geologic deviation and the occurrence of negative magnetization when the magnetic layer contains strong remanent magnetization. We have developed a space-domain inversion approach for apparent magnetization mapping based on the amplitude of magnetic anomaly (AMA), the analytic signal (AS), and the normalized source strength (NSS) to reduce effects of remanent magnetization. The AMA, AS, and NSS are three common quantities insensitive or weakly sensitive to the remanence transformed from the magnetic total field anomaly or components. The magnetic layer underground is first divided into a regular grid of vertical rectangular prisms, each having a cross-sectional area of one grid square and a uniform magnetization. Then, an iterative algorithm is adopted to invert each quantity of the AMA, AS, and NSS to obtain an optimum value of magnetization of each prism in the magnetic layer. The inversion approach permits the top and bottom surfaces of the magnetic layer to be constant or variable in depth, and requires no prior information of magnetization directions. Our tests on the synthetic and real data from the metallic ores area in the southern margin of North China have proved the feasibility and robustness of the presented inversion approach. All of the AMA, AS, and NSS inversions produced nonnegative magnetization distribution in the magnetic layer. Also, the AS and NSS inversions produced a better resolution of magnetization distribution than that of the AMA.

Apparent magnetization mapping in the presence of strong remanent magnetization: The space-domain inversion approach

Apparent magnetization mapping in the presence of strong remanent magnetization: The space-domain inversion approach

Analysis of the Aeromagnetic Anomalies of the Auca Mahuida Volcano, Patagonia, Argentina

We present the analysis of the subsurface structure of the Auca Mahuida volcano based on high-resolution aeromagnetic data integrated with the available geological information. Most of the detected magnetic anomalies have a dipolar structure opposite to that of the present geomagnetic field. According to the available geochronological data and paleomagnetic measurements, the source bodies of Auca Mahuida mainly emplaced in the Matuyama reverse polarity chron. The Reduction-to-the-Pole map confirms that the magnetization direction is mainly reverse with only few anomalies normally magnetized. Two opposite, coexisting polarities do not allow to fully remove the dipolar character of the field in the Reduction-to-the-Pole transformation. Therefore, we model the measured anomaly field by applying analytical techniques that are independent of the magnetization direction. The obtained anomaly strikes and source geometries indicate an emplacement of intrusive bodies controlled by the regional faults affecting the Auca Mahuida basement and the sedimentary successions of the Neuquen basin. Magma upraised along these faults and fractures feeding the volcanic activity and subsequently crystallized. The averaged power spectrum and Euler Deconvolution indicate source depths consistent with those of the intrusions recognized in wells. Borehole data highlight the widespread presence of intrusive bodies below the Auca Mahuida central crater and the peripheral sectors at depth of 2 km below sea level. These bodies have played a major role in the thermal maturation of hydrocarbons and in the subsequent accumulation of oil below the volcano. The obtained results shed light on the Auca Mahuida feeding system and on the intrusions geometry, also pointing out the effectiveness of the magnetic prospecting in the oil industry even in presence of strong remanent magnetization.