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Volume 56 Supplement 2

Special Issue: Special section for IUGG workshop: Lithospheric Structure of a Supercontinent:Gondwana

K-Ar ages of the Auckland geomagnetic excursions

Earth, Planets and Space volume 56, pages 283–288 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

K-Ar age determinations were made on two monogenetic volcanoes in the Auckland volcanic field, New Zealand, which have recorded the Auckland geomagnetic excursions. For the Wiri volcano with the north-down intermediate paleomagnetic direction, five samples gave a weighted mean age of 27 ± 5 (1σ) ka. For the Hampton Park volcano with the west-up intermediate direction, three samples gave a weighted mean of 55 ± 5 (1σ) ka. Since these two K-Ar ages are distinguished at 2σ level, it is inferred that at least two geomagnetic excursions can be recognized in Auckland. The age of the Hampton Park is barely distinguished from the established age range of the Laschamp excursion (39–45 ka) at 2σ level. The age of the Wiri coincides with the age of c. 30 ka in which excursions have been found from sedimentary and volcanic records. The reported excursions from volcanic rocks show a VGP cluster in the central to northern Pacific region which is distinct from the VGP paths or clusters during polarity reversals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, okyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan

    Nobutatsu Mochizuki & Hideo Tsunakawa

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan

    Hidetoshi Shibuya

  3. Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Takahiro Tagami & Ayako Ozawa

  4. Department of Geology, University of Auckland, PO Box 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    John Cassidy & Ian E. M. Smith

Authors
  1. Nobutatsu Mochizuki
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  2. Hideo Tsunakawa
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  3. Hidetoshi Shibuya
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  4. Takahiro Tagami
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  5. Ayako Ozawa
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  6. John Cassidy
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  7. Ian E. M. Smith
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Correspondence to Nobutatsu Mochizuki.

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Mochizuki, N., Tsunakawa, H., Shibuya, H. et al. K-Ar ages of the Auckland geomagnetic excursions. Earth Planet Sp 56, 283–288 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03353410

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03353410

Key words

  • K-Ar age
  • Auckland geomagnetic excursion
  • Auckland volcanic field