Skip to main content
Earth, Planets and Space
Download PDF

Volume 57 Supplement 5

Special Issue: Special Section for the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake (1)

Geomagnetic paleointensity over 1.2 Ma from deep-tow vector magnetic data across the East Pacific Rise

Earth, Planets and Space volume 57, pages 465–470 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Deep-tow vector magnetic data have been acquired across the fast-spreading southern East Pacific Rise 18°S and inverted to magnetization intensity variations. Vector magnetic data are used to determine continuous magnetic intensity within intervals of constant polarity over the Matuyama and Brunhes periods up to the Cobb Mountain event at 1.19 Ma. A comparison of our deep-tow vector data and a sediment core-derived geomagnetic paleointensity timescale suggests that the short-wavelength magnetic anomaly signal is indeed of geomagnetic origin and can be used to date the seafloor with a high resolution. The crustal age determined from our date reveals a highly asymmetric spreading rate for the recent period (since 0.3 Ma).

References

  • Auzende, J.-M., V. Ballu, R. Batiza, D. Bideau, J.-L. Charlou, M. H. Cormier, Y. Fouquet, P. Geistdoerfer, Y. Lagabrielle, J. Sinton, and P. Spadea, Recent tectonic, magmatic, and hydrothermal activity on the East Pacific Rise between 17°S and 19°S: Submersible observations, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 17995–18010, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergmanis, E., J. Sinton, S. White, K. C. Macdonald, R. Batiza, K. Rubin, T. K. P. Gregg, C. L. Van Dover, and K. Gronvold, Anatomy of a midocean ridge volcanic eruption: The Aldo-Kihi flow between 17°24′S and 17°34′S, East Pacific Rise, Eos Trans. AGU, 80(46), Fall Meet. Suppl., F1075, 1999.

  • Bowers, N. E., S. C. Cande, J. S. Gee, J. A. Hildebrand, and R. L. Parker, Fluctuations of the paleomagnetic field during chron C5 as recorded in near-bottom marine magnetic anomaly data, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 26379–26396, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowles, J., L. Tauxe, J. Gee, D. McMillan, and S. Cande, Source of tiny wiggles in Chron C5: A comparison of sedimentary relative intensity and marine magnetic anomalies, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys., 4, 1049, doi:10.1029/2002GC000489, 2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cande, S. C. and D. V. Kent, Ultrahigh resolution marine magnetic anomaly profiles: A record of continuous paleointensity variations?, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 15075–15083, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carbotte, S. M., J. C. Mutter, and L. Xu, Contribution of volcanism and tectonism to axial and flank morphology of the southern East Pacific Rise, 17°10′–17°40′S, from a study of layer 2A geometry, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 10165–10184, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cormier, M.-H. and K. C. Macdonald, East Pacific Rise 18°–19°S: Asymmetric spreading and ridge reorientation by ultrafast migration of axial discontinuities, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 543–564, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cormier, M. H., D. S. Scheirer, and K. C. Macdonald, Evolution of the East Pacific Rise at 16°–19°S since 5 Ma: Bisection of overlapping spreading centers by new, rapidly propagating ridge segments, Marine Geophys. Res., 18, 53–84, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Detrick, R. S., A. J. Harding, G. M. Kent, J. A. Orcutt, J. C. Mutter, and P. Buhl, Seismic Structure of the Southern East Pacific Rise, Science, 259, 499–503, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyment, J. and J. Arkani-hamed, Spreading-rate-dependent magnetization of the oceanic lithosphere inferred from the anomalous skewness of marine magnetic anomalies, Geophys. J. Int., 121, 789–804, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiwara, T. and H. Fujimoto, Seafloor geomagnetic vector anomaly of the intersection of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Kane Transform Fault: Implications for magnetization of the oceanic crust, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 30335–30349, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gee, J., S. C. Cande, J. A. Hildebrand, K. Donnelly, and R. L. Parker, Geomagnetic intensity vatiation over the past 780 kyr obtained from near-seafloor magnetic anomalies, Nature, 408, 827–832, 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guyodo, Y. and J. P. Valet, Relative variations in geomagnetic intensity from sedimentary records: the past 200,000 years, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 143, 23–36, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guyodo, Y. and J. P. Valet, Global changes in intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field during the past 800 kyr, Nature, 399, 249–252, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guyodo, Y., C. Richter, and J. P. Valet, Paleointensity record from Pleistocene sediments (1.4–0 Ma) off the California Margin, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 22953–22964, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooft, E. E. E., H. Schouten, and R. S. Detrick, Constraining crustal emplacement processes from the variation in seismic layer 2A thickness at East Pacific Rise, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 142, 289–309, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooft, E. E. E., R. S. Detrick, and G. M. Kent, Seismic structure and indicators of magma budget along the southern East Pacific Rise, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 27319–27340, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussenoeder, S. A., M. A. Tivey, and H. Shouten, Direct inversion of potential fields from an uneven track with application to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 3131–3134, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussenoeder, S. A., M. A. Tivey, H. Shouten, and R. C. Searle, Nearbottom magnetic survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis, 24°–24°40′N: Implications for crustal accretion at slow spreading ridges, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 22051–22069, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, H. P. and M. A. Tivey, Magnetic properties of zero-age oceanic crust; a new submarine lava flow on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 175–178, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lonsdale, P., Segmentation of the Pacific-Nazca spreading center, 1°N– 20°S, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 12197–12225, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meynadier, L., J. P. Valet, R. Weeks, N. J. Shackleton, and V. L. Hagee, Relative geomagnetic intensity of the field during the last 140 ka, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 114, 39–57, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mutter, J. C., S. M. Carbotte, W. Su, L. Xu, P. Buhl, R. S. Detrick, G. M. Kent, J. A. Orcutt, and A. J. Harding, Seismic Images of Active Magma Systems Beneath the East Pacific Rise Between 17°05′ and 17°35′S, Science, 268, 391–395, 1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perram, L. J., K. C. Macdonald, and S. P. Miller, Deep-tow magnetics near 20?S on the East Pacific Rise: A study of short wavelength anomalies at a very fast spreading canter, Marine Geophys. Res., 12, 235–245, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pouliquen, G., Y. Gallet, P. Patriat, J. Dyment, and C. Tamura, A geomagnetic record over the last 3.5 million years from deep-tow magnetic anomaly profiles across the Central Indian Ridge, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 10941–10960, 2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rea, D. K. and R. J. Blakely, Short-wavelength magnetic anomalies in a region of rapid seafloor spreading, Nature, 225, 126–128, 1975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheirer, D. S. and K. C. Macdonald, Variation in cross-sectional area of the axial ridge along the East Pacific Rise: Evidence for the magmatic budget of a fast spreading center, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 7871–7886, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheirer, D. S., D. W. Forsyth, M.-H. Cormier, and K. C. Macdonald, Shipboard geophysical indications of asymmetry and melt production beneath the East Pacific Rise near the MELT Experiment, Science, 260, 1221–1224, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A. K., M.-H. Cormier, W. B. F. Ryan, W. Jin, J. Sinton, E. Bergmanis, J. Carlut, A. Bradley, and D. Yoerger, Episodic dike swarms inferred from near-bottom magnetic anomaly maps at the southern East Pacific Rise, J. Geophys. Res., 108, doi:10.1029/2001JB000564, 2

  • Sinton, J., E. Bergmanis, K. Rubin, R. Batiza, T. K. P. Gregg, K. Groenvold, K. C. Macdonald, and S. M. White, Volcanic eruptions on midocean ridge: New evidence from the superfast spreading East Pacific Rise, 17°–19°S, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 10.1029/2000JB000090, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tivey, M. A., Fine-scale magnetic anomaly field over the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge: Axial magnetization low and implications for crustal structure, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 4833–4855, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tivey, M. A. and H. P. Johnson, The central anomaly magnetic high: Implications for ocean construction and evolution, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 12685–12694, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tivey, M. A. and H. P. Johnson, Variations in oceanic crustal structure and implications for the fine-scale magnetic anomaly signal, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 1879–1882, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urabe, T., E. T. Baker, J. Ishibashi, R. A. Feely, K. Marumo, G. J. Massoth, A. Maruyama, K. Shitashima, K. Okamura, J. E. Lupton, A. Sonoda, T. Yamazaki, M. Aoki, J. Gendron, R. Greene, Y. Kaiho, K. Kisimoto, G. Lebon, T. Matsumoto, K. Nakamura, A. Nishizawa, O. Okano, G. Paradis, K. Roe, T. Shibata, D. Tennant, T. Vance, S. L. Walker, T. Yabuki, and N. Ytow, The Effect of Magmatic Activity on Hydrothermal Venting Along the Superfast-Spreading East Pacific Rise, Science, 269, 1092–1095, 1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wooldridge, A. L., C. G. A. Harrison, M. A. Tivey, P. A. Rona, and H. Schouten, Magnetic modeling near selected areas of hydrothermal activity on the Mid-Atlantic and Gorda Ridges, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 10911–10926, 1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valet, J. P. and L. Meynadier, Geomagnetic field intensity and reversals during the past four million years, Nature, 366, 234–238, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valet, J. P., J. Brassart, X. Quidelleur, V. Soler, P. Y. Gillot, and L. Hongre, Paleointensity variations across the last geomagnetic reversal at La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 7577–7598, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto, M. and N. Seama, Genetic Algorithm inversion of geomagnetic vector data using a 2.5 dimensional magnetic structure model, Earth Planets Space, 56, 217–227, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, T., Relative paleointensity of the geomagnetic field during Brunhes Chron recorded in North Pacific deep-sea sediment cores: orbital influence?, Earth. Planet. Sci. Lett., 169, 23–35, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Snee Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Michiko Yamamoto

  2. Research Center for Inland Seas, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

    Nobukazu Seama

  3. Department of Earth Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan

    Nobuhiro Isezaki

Authors
  1. Michiko Yamamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nobukazu Seama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nobuhiro Isezaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michiko Yamamoto.

Rights and permissions

Open Access  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yamamoto, M., Seama, N. & Isezaki, N. Geomagnetic paleointensity over 1.2 Ma from deep-tow vector magnetic data across the East Pacific Rise. Earth Planet Sp 57, 465–470 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351835

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351835

Key words