Skip to main content
Download PDF
/v1/supplement/title

Paleomagnetic behavior of volcanic rocks from Isla Socorro, Mexico

Earth, Planets and Space volume 61, pages 191–204 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The direction and magnitude of the geomagnetic field vary both spatially and temporally and undergo significant departures from that of a geocentric axial dipole. In order to properly characterize persistent behaviors, time-averaged field models must be based on the highest quality data. Here we present full-vector paleomagnetic data for volcanic units exposed in the southeast quadrant of the island of Socorro, Mexico. We carried out a joint expedition between the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma México to Isla Socorro in January of 2005 during which we collected oriented paleomagnetic samples from 21 sites, representing as many as 10 different volcanic units (the oldest of which is ~540 ka). We subjected over 100 specimens to the most up-to-date paleointensity methods, and included the standard reliability checks. In an earlier study, Bohrson et al. (1996) proposed a series of widespread eruptive events, based on similarities of argon/argon dates. Paleointensity from specimens that conform to the strictest acceptance criteria are available from both the (unoriented) original sample collection and our fully oriented (but as yet undated) new collection. Correlation between the two collections is however problematic. The time-averaged direction from Socorro is consistent with that expected from a geocentric axial dipole, and the time-averaged intensity is 30.0±7.1 μT, equivalent to a virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) of 67.6±16.0 ZAm2.

References

  • Aitken, M. J., A. L. Allsop, G. D. Bussell, and M. B. Winter, Determination of the intensity of the earth’s magnetic field during archeological times: reliability of the thellier technique, Rev. Geophys., 26, 3–12, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batiza, R. and D. A. Vanko, Petrologic evolution of large failed rifts in the eastern pacific: Petrology of volcanic and plutonic rocks from the mathematician ridge area and the guadalupe trough, J. Petrol., 26(3), 564–602, 1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben Yosef, E., H. Ron, L. Tauxe, A. Agnon, A. Genevey, T. Levy, U. Avner, and M. Najjar, Application of copper slag in geomagnetic archaeointen-sity research, J. Geophys. Res., 2008 (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohrson, W. A. and M. R. Reid, Genesis of silicic peralkaline volcanic rocks in an ocean island setting by crustal melting and open-system processes: Socorro island, mexico, J. Petrol., 38(9), 1137–1166, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohrson, W. A., M. R. Reid, A. L. Grunder, M. T. Heizler, T. M. Harrison, and J. Lee, Prolonged history of silicic peralkaline volcanism in the eastern pacific ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 101(B5), 11,457–11,474, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan, W. B. J., High-silica alkaline lavas of Clarion and Socorro Islands, Mexico—their genesis and regional significance, PhD thesis, University of Wisconsin, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coe, R. S., The determination of paleo-intensities of the earth’s magnetic field with emphasis on mechanisms which could cause non-ideal behavior in the thellier’s method, J. Geomag. Geoelectr., 19, 157–178, 1967.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coe, R. S., S. Gromme, and E. A. Mankinen, Geomagnetic paleointensities from radiocarbon-dated lavaflows on hawaii and the question of the pacific nondipole low, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 1740–1756, 1978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, A., Confidence limits for the precision parameter k, Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc., 17, 545–579, 1969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doell, R. R. and A. Cox, The pacific geomagnetic secular vatiation anomaly and the question of lateral uniformity in the lower mantle, in The Nature of the Solid Earth, edited by E. C. Robertson, 245–284, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunlop, D. J. and S. Xu, Theory of partial thermoremanent magnetization in multidomain grains 1. repeated identical barriers to wall motion (single microcoercivity), J. Geophys. Res., 99(B5), 9005–9024, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunlop, D. J. and O. Ozdemir, Rock Magnetism: Fundamentals and Frontiers, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1997.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, J. D., M. C. Farmer, and R. Berger, Radiocarbon ages of lacustrine deposits in volcanic sequences of the lomas coloradas area, socorro island, mexico, Radiocarbon, 35(2), 253–262, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A., Dispersion on a sphere, Proc. Roy. Soc. London A, 217, 294–305, 1953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry, C. D. and J. A. Wolff, Distinguishing strongly rheomorphic tuffs from extensive silicic lavas, Bull. Volcanol., 54, 171–186, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. L. and P. McFadden, The time-averaged field and paleosecular variation, in Geomagnetism, Treatise on Geophysics, 2007 (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. L., C. G. Constable, and L. Tauxe, Mapping long-term changes in earth’s magnetic field, Science, 300, 2044–2045, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschvink, J. L., The least-squares line and plane and the analysis of paleomagnetic data, Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc, 62(3), 699–718, 1980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laj, C., H. Guillou, N. Szeremeta, and R. S. Coe, Geomagnetic paleosecular variation at hawaii around 3 ma from a sequence of 107 lava flows at kaena point (oahu), Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 170(4), 365–376, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, K. P., C. G. Constable, and C. L. Johnson, Paleosecular variation and the average geomagnetic field at +/- 20 degrees latitude, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst.7(7), 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mammerickx, J., D. F. Naar, and R. L. Tyce, The mathematician paleoplate, J. Geophys. Res., 93(B4), 3025–3040, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McElhinny, M. W., P. McFadden, and R. T. Merrill, The time-averaged paleomagnetic field 0-5 ma, J. Geophys. Res., 101(B11), 25,007–25,028, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFadden, P. and M. W. McElhinny, Variations in the geomagnetic dipole 2: statistical analysis of vdm’s for the past 5 m.y., J. Geomag. Geoelectr., 34, 163–189, 1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quane, S. L. and J. K. Russell, Ranking welding intensity in pyroclastic deposits, Bull. Volcanol., 67, 129–143, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. F., Geology of the islas revillagigedo, mexico, 2. geology and petrography of isla san benedicto, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. F. and B. H. Brattstrom, Bibliography, cartography, discovery, and exploration of the islas revillagigedo, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riisager, P. and J. Riisager, Detecting multidomain magnetic grains in thellier palaeointensity experiments, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 125, 111–117, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlinger, C. M., D. R. Veblen, and J. G. Rosenbaum, Magnetism and magnetic mineralogy of ash flow tuffs from yucca mountain, nevada, J. Geophys. Res., 96(B4), 6035–6052, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmincke, H.-U., Volcanological aspects of peralkaline silicic welded ash-Mflow tuffs, Bull. Volcanol., 38(2), 594–636, 1974.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selkin, P. A. and L. Tauxe, Long-term variations in palaeointensity, Roy. Soc., 358, 1065–1088, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selkin, P. A., J. S. Gee, and L. Tauxe, Nonlinear thermoremanence acquisition and implications for paleointensity data, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 256, 81–89, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siebe, C., J.-C. Komorowski, C. Navarro, J. McHone, H. Delgado, H., and A. Cortes, Submarine eruption near socorro island, mexico: Geochemistry and scanning electron microscopy studies of floating scoria and reticulite, J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 68, 239–271, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, R. S. J. and G. P. L. Walker, Products of ignimbrite eruptions, Geology, 115-118, 1973.

  • Taran, Y. A., T. P. Fischer, E. Cienfuegos, and P. Morales, Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids from an intraplate ocean island: Everman volcano, socorro island, mexico, Chem. Geol., 188(1-2), 51–63, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tauxe, L., Paleomagnetic Principles and Practice, Modern Approaches in Geophysics, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tauxe, L., P. Gans, and E. A. Mankinen, Paleomagnetism and 40ar/39ar ages from volcanics extruded during the matuyama and brunhes chrons near mcmurdo sound, antarctica, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 5(6), 1–20, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tauxe, L. and T. Yamazaki, Paleointensities, in Geomagnetism, 5, 2007 (in press).

  • Vandamme, D., A new method to determine paleosecular variation, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 85, 131–142, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, W. M., M. D. M. Tapia, and J.-G. Schilling, The petrology and geochemistry of the azores islands, Contr. Mineral. Petrol., 69(3), 201–213, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, S. and D. J. Dunlop, Theory of partial thermoremanent magnetization in multidomain grains 2. effect of microcoercivity distribution and comparison with experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 99(B5), 9025–9034, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0220, USA

    Elise Sbarbori & Lisa Tauxe

  2. LIMNA, Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Campus Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico

    Avto Goguitchaichvili

  3. Laboratorio de Paleomagnetismo y Paleoambientes, Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 04510 DF, Mexico

    Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi

  4. Department of Geological Sciences, Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA, 98926-7418, USA

    Wendy A. Bohrson

Authors
  1. Elise Sbarbori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa Tauxe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Avto Goguitchaichvili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wendy A. Bohrson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elise Sbarbori.

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

Cite this article

Sbarbori, E., Tauxe, L., Goguitchaichvili, A. et al. Paleomagnetic behavior of volcanic rocks from Isla Socorro, Mexico. Earth Planet Sp 61, 191–204 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352899

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352899

Key words