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Paleomagnetic records of polarity transitions, excursions, and secular variation
Author(s) -
Cox Allan,
Hillhouse Jack,
Fuller Michael
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/rg013i003p00185
Subject(s) - secular variation , polarity (international relations) , paleomagnetism , variation (astronomy) , geology , field (mathematics) , geophysics , paleontology , earth science , physics , astronomy , genetics , mathematics , cell , pure mathematics , biology
In this report we review the past few years research on polarity transitions, short polarity events, excursions of the field, and secular variation. The common element linking these phenomena is that they occur very quickly, so quickly in fact that it is difficult to find rocks which have recorded them completely enough and accurately enough to provide useful magnetic records. Yet an increasing number of paleomagnetists have undertaken research on young rocks, especially on sediments, in the hope of learning more about the fine structure of the earth's field. In part the motivation for this research has been to identify and date unusual swings of the field so that these can be used for purposes of detailed stratigraphic correlation.