Open AccessVariable remanence acquisition efficiency in sediments containing biogenic and detrital magnetites: Implications for relative paleointensity signal recording
Author(s) -
Ouyang Tingping,
Heslop David,
Roberts Andrew P.,
Tian Chengjing,
Zhu Zhaoyu,
Qiu Yan,
Peng Xuechao
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1002/2014gc005301
Subject(s) - magnetite , remanence , natural remanent magnetization , paleomagnetism , geology , environmental magnetism , sediment , mineralogy , sedimentary rock , rock magnetism , earth's magnetic field , geophysics , mineral , magnetization , geochemistry , paleontology , chemistry , magnetic field , physics , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry
Widespread geological preservation of biogenic magnetite makes it important to assess how such particles contribute to sedimentary paleomagnetic signals. We studied a sediment core from the South China Sea that passes the strict empirical criteria for magnetic “uniformity” used in relative paleointensity studies. Such assessments are based routinely on bulk magnetic parameters that often fail to enable identification of mixed magnetic mineral assemblages. Using techniques that enable component‐specific magnetic mineral identification, we find that biogenic and detrital magnetites occur in approximately equal concentrations within the studied sediments. We analyzed normalized remanence signals associated with the two magnetite components to assess whether co‐occurring biogenic and detrital magnetites record geomagnetic information in the same way and with the same efficiency. Paleomagnetic directions for the two components have no phase lag, which suggests that the biogenic and detrital magnetites acquired their magnetizations at equivalent times. However, we find that the biogenic magnetite is generally 2–4 times more efficient as the detrital magnetite in contributing to the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) despite their approximately equal magnetic contributions. Variations in the concentration and efficiency of remanence acquisition of the two components suggest that a significant part of the NRM is controlled by nongeomagnetic factors that will affect relative paleointensity recording. We recommend that methods suited to the detection of variable recording efficiency associated with biogenic and detrital magnetites should be used on a routine basis in relative paleointensity studies.