Open AccessMagnetostratigraphic results from the eastern Arctic Ocean: AMS 14 C ages and relative palaeointensity data of the Mono Lake and Laschamp geomagnetic reversal excursions
Author(s) -
Nowaczyk Norbert R.,
Knies Jochen
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-246x.2000.00001.x
Subject(s) - geology , excursion , earth's magnetic field , magnetostratigraphy , paleomagnetism , paleontology , geomagnetic reversal , stratigraphy , arctic , plateau (mathematics) , oceanography , magnetic field , tectonics , physics , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , political science , law
A new high‐resolution magnetostratigraphic record from the eastern Arctic Ocean has yielded further evidence for the existence of the Laschamp excursion (37–35 ka), the Mono Lake excursion (27–25.5 ka) and possibly another very short excursion (22 ka) inferred from steep negative inclinations. Ages are based on nine AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) 14 C dates, oxygen isotope stratigraphy and correlation with ODP site 983. Estimates of relative palaeointensity variations for the time interval from 80 to 10 ka have revealed that the documented geomagnetic excursions are linked to large fluctuations of the relative palaeointensity. The lowest values were obtained for the two excursions and the normal–reversed (N–R) and reversed–normal (R–N) transitions of the Laschamp polarity excursion, which itself is characterized by a slight increase of relative palaeointensity during its reversed state. The results are in general agreement with palaeointensity studies from other regions, indicating that these fluctuations could be global phenomena and that the geomagnetic field of the Brunhes Chron was very variable in amplitude as well as in geometry. The new result is one of the rare records comprising large directional as well as large relative palaeointensity variations.