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Assessing the timing of greigite formation and the reliability of the Upper Olduvai polarity transition record from the Crostolo River, Italy
Author(s) -
Roberts Andrew P.,
Jiang WeiTeh,
Florindo Fabio,
Horng ChorngShern,
Laj Carlo
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl022137
Subject(s) - greigite , authigenic , paleomagnetism , geology , paleontology , pyrite , earth's magnetic field , magnetostratigraphy , pleistocene , mineralogy , diagenesis , magnetic field , physics , quantum mechanics
The Crostolo River section in Italy yielded a detailed record of the Upper Olduvai geomagnetic polarity transition that has been used to support the hypothesis of deep mantle control on the transitional geomagnetic field. The paleomagnetic record is carried by the authigenic iron sulphide, greigite, which was interpreted to have formed shortly after deposition. Our detailed scanning electron microscope investigations indicate the presence of at least 3 generations of pyrite, which usually forms with greigite as a precursor. This suggests that the total magnetization is a complex composite that produced a smoothed record of transitional field behaviour.