Statistical properties of paleomagnetic directions in Kerguelen lava flows: Implications for the late Oligocene paleomagnetic field

International audienceWe present the results of a paleomagnetic study of seven new volcanic sections (146 flows) from Kerguelen Archipelago. For two of these sections, preliminary (;40;Ar/;39;Ar) ages are reported to aid in the calibration of the paleomagnetic results. The primary contribution of this report, however, is a compilation of these new data with those already published in order to describe statistically the characteristics of the paleomagnetic field as recorded by the Kerguelen flood basalts. In total, 258 paleomagnetic directions sampled at 13 stratigraphic sections through the lava pile are available and span an approximately 5 Ma window: from 25 to 30 Ma. The composite section represents at least 11 polarity zones that are correlated to the reference geomagnetic polarity timescale. Our approach is to investigate the average normal and reversed polarity field directions over this 5 Ma window. We calculated a paleomagnetic pole found to be located at ;λ; = 85.5°N, = 189.3°E (A;95; = 2.3°, K = 16.5, N = 233). This pole is in close agreement with the coeval paleomagnetic poles obtained from different worldwide places when analyzed in the Indo-Atlantic hot spot reference frame. In the statistical analysis we tackle the specific question: Is the secular variation isotropic? This question is directly related to the occurrence of a longitudinal confinement of the virtual geomagnetic poles, which is still a matter of debate among paleomagnetists. By means of statistical tests we show that the paleomagnetic data from Kerguelen agree with an isotropic model for paleosecular variation. Finally, we present adjustments to Camps and Prévot's (1996) statistical model, developed for some Northern Hemisphere latitudes, to the Southern Hemisphere paleomagnetic data from Kerguelen

New paleo- and rockmagnetic constraints for the Laschamp event in the Chaîne des Puys

Thermoluminescence, présenté par G. Plenier, pas de proceedingsThe discovery by Bonhommet and Babkine (1967) of almost reverse directions of magnetization recorded by the Laschamp and Olby lava flows triggered a wide interest. This was indeed the first significant observation supporting the existence of a short geomagnetic event referred as a geomagnetic excursion. Subsequent studies established that these flows were 30 and 40 kyrs old (Gillot et al, 1979) in coincidence with a period of low dipole field intensity. Thus these anomalous directions could either be due to the emergence of the non dipole field or represent an aborted field reversal. An opposite view was put forward by Heller and Petersen (1982) who argued that, despite synchronism with the dipole collapse, the reversed magnetization of the flows was actually not relevant to the field but rather caused by self-reversal processes. The most recent study by Chauvin and Roperch was a response to this rock magnetic hypothesis and argued in favour of a geomagnetic origin. During the past twenty years a large number of thermoluminescence (sometimes 14C) dated flows from the Chaîne des Puys provided ages between 30 and 65 ky BP. We used this opportunity to sample many new units in order to clarify the origin of the magnetization and hopefully improve the resolution of the Laschamp event with additional directions and rock magnetic investigations. We sampled 14 flows with ages between 30 and 65 kyrs and measured 203 samples. Alternating field and thermal demagnetizations were performed on twin samples to investigate the stability and the consistency of the components observed. The results obtained so far reveal that only 7 lavas have a stable characteristic component with normal polarity. Surprisingly, no well defined transitional or reverse direction could be isolated. The seven other flows are characterized by very scattered directions which in some cases can be found along a small circle passing across the normal polarity. In many cases the samples exhibit very complex demagnetization behaviour. Thermomagnetic experiments indicate that magnetite dominates the mineralogy of the samples with normal polarity while a titanomagnetite assemblage controls the magnetization of samples that exhibit anomalous components. This correlation between directions and mineralogy is not incompatible with previous observations by Heller and Petersen for the Olby lava flow. We are currently re-investigating the hypothesis of self reversing magnetization by perform-ing measurements at various temperatures in presence of the field as well as repeated acquisitions of partial thermoremanence with various checks on the residual NR

New paleo- and rockmagnetic results from La Chaine des Puys during the Laschamp event : Evidences of mineralogical disturbances

Thermoluminescence, présenté par J.P. Valet, abstracts bookForty years ago Bonhommet and Babkine (in 1967) reported on two lava flows(Laschamp and Olby) and a scoria cone (Laschamp) from the Chaîne des Puys with almost reversed directions of magnetization which were interpreted as the record of a geomagnetic excursion named after the Laschamp village. Due to specific magnetic mineralogy, these rocks were shown to be prone to self-reversals, potentially misrecording the ambient magnetic field during their emplacement. This new discovery raised a controversy regarding the origin of the directions recorded by these lava flows. Many studies were then conducted to determine the age of the event at 40 ka, which coincides with a period of low dipole field intensity and thus a high probability to observe significant departures of the field from the axial dipolar direction. Taking advantage of new Potassium-argon age determinations, we revisited some sites and sampled several new ones in order to clarify the origin of their magnetization and hopefully improve the resolution of the Laschamp event. This study involves thermal and alternating field demagnetization of 257 samples from 20 units, including 12 new localities, and also experiments of magnetic mineralogy (susceptibility as a function of temperature, thermomagnetic curves, IRM acquisition curves and hysteresis parameters determination). The magnetic mineralogy is dominated by primary titanomagnetite with a Curie temperature of 130±60°C (0.

Origin and age of the directions recorded during the Laschamp event in the Chaine des Puys (France)

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