Title: The
use of field dependence of AC susceptibility for the interpretation of
magnetic mineralogy and magnetic fabrics in the HSDP-2 basalts, Hawaii
Document Type: Article
Language: English
Abstract: We
applied the field dependence parameter chi(Hd) (%)=[(k(300) (A/m)-k(30)
(A/m))/k(300) (A/m)] x 100 given by de Wall for the subaerial and
submarine basalts drilled by the 3109 in deep HSDP-2 borehole on Hawaii
in order to verify the hypothesis that mainly composition controls the
field dependence of AC susceptibility in titanomagnetite of natural
occurrences. When we used this parameter, our data showed a significant
scattering compared to data presented in earlier studies. In addition
to composition, the effect of measurement temperature, grain size and
anisotropy on the field dependent susceptibility were examined and
found to be critical. The impact of grain size is weaker than the other
effects. It cannot be totally excluded that the observed effects arise
indirectly through an overlap of the other effects for the investigated
basalts. The most important factor for the variation of field
dependence is the degree of oxidation, causing a modification of the
titanomagnetite composition or formation of titanomaghemite, and the
mixing of Ti-rich with Ti-poor titanomagnetites, which strongly reduces
the chi(Hd) parameter. Field dependence is not only related to
titanomagnetite composition, especially for intermediate
titanomagnetites with T(C)s between 100 and 300 degrees C. Temperature
dependent susceptibility measurements at different field amplitudes for
these intermediate types showed at constant geometry of the k(T) curve
great differences in susceptibility, resulting in significant changes
of the field dependence parameter over the temperature interval from -
100 to 260 degrees C. Therefore variations of the ambient measurement
temperatures are able to influence the field dependence. The second
important effect is the degree of particle shape and alignment, which
controls the field dependence in different orientations especially for
the intermediate titanomagnetite, which is intensively intergrown with
elongated hemoilmenite grains. As a consequence, samples with higher
degrees of anisotropy exhibit differences of the field dependence
parameter if measured parallel to k(max) or k(min) axis. Therefore, in
addition to compositional effects and the temperature dependence, the
magnetic fabric has to be considered for the interpretation of field
dependent susceptibility measurements. The influence of intrinsic
(Ti-content, magnetocrystalline anisotropy), and extrinsic (shape and
alignment of grains) factors for the interpretation of the degree of
anisotropy has to be kept in mind when interpreting ANTS data in terms
of strain rates experienced by moving lava during emplacement. (c) 2005
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords: magnetic
susceptibility; titanomagnetite; field dependence; magneto-mineralogy;
magnetic fabric; basalt; HSDP
KeyWords Plus: GRAIN-SIZE;
FREQUENCY-DEPENDENCE; DOMAIN-STRUCTURE; TITANOMAGNETITES; ANISOTROPY;
PYRRHOTITE; TRANSITION; GERMANY
Addresses: Vahle
C (reprint author), Univ Heidelberg, Inst Geol Palaontol, Neuenheimer
Feld 234, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
Univ Heidelberg, Inst Geol Palaontol, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
Publisher: ELSEVIER
SCIENCE BV, PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Subject Category: GEOCHEMISTRY
& GEOPHYSICS
IDS Number: 975SA
ISSN: 0012-821X