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Paleomagnetic directions of the Gauss-Matuyama polarity transition recorded in drift sediments (IODP Site U1314) in the North Atlantic

Earth, Planets and Space volume 60, pages e13–e16 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

The geomagnetic field direction during the Gauss-Matuyama (G-M) polarity transition was investigated from a high-accumulation-rate (≥10 cm/kyr) sediment core drilled in the Gardar drift in the North Atlantic at Site U1314 during Expedition 306 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). A well-defined characteristic remanent magnetization was generally obtained by alternating field demagnetization. The consistency of the results with records from Icelandic lavas confirms that the North Atlantic drift sediments contain a high-fidelity record of the geomagnetic field change. During the G-M transition, the virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) latitude shows north-south-north-south rebounding, with the three VGP paths falling within different longitudinal bands. Two of the three paths are close to or within the preferred bands in which transitional VGPs are suggested to be longitudinally confined. Three additional loops occur that approach mid-to-low latitudes from the North or South pole regions. In addition, the VGPs show rapid movement (directional jumps) between VGP clusters.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Yohan Guyodo

    Present address: Institut de Mineralogie et de Physique des Milieux Condenses, 75015, Paris, France

  2. Helen F. Evans

    Present address: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, NY, 10964, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Changes, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 810-8560, Japan

    Masao Ohno, Fumi Murakami & Fumiki Komatsu

  2. Laboratorie des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Yohan Guyodo

  3. Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Gary Acton

  4. Deep Sea Research Department, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Toshiya Kanamatsu

  5. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2120, USA

    Helen F. Evans

  6. Institute of Geology and Geoinformation, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan

    Futoshi Nanayama

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  1. Masao Ohno
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  2. Fumi Murakami
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Correspondence to Masao Ohno.

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Ohno, M., Murakami, F., Komatsu, F. et al. Paleomagnetic directions of the Gauss-Matuyama polarity transition recorded in drift sediments (IODP Site U1314) in the North Atlantic. Earth Planet Sp 60, e13–e16 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352845

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Key words

  • Geomagnetism
  • polarity transition
  • Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
  • Expedition 306
  • Site U1314