Secular variation of the geomagnetic field as determined from Playa Lake sediments
Abstract
Geomagnetic field characteristics for the past 2000 years have been accurately established from studies of baked clays associated with archaeological sites. This investigation was to test the hypothesis that geomagnetic field variations recorded in recent playa sediments would correlate with those time-varying geomagnetic field changes found in the baked clays. Oriented specimens were taken in vertical columns from the sediments of two dry lakes in Arizona and one in Nevada. When the magnetic data from the dry lake sediments were compared to the archaeomagnetic data for the southwestern United States, there appeared to be general agreement. By using points on curves derived from the playa sediment data and matching them with similar points on curves derived from baked clay data it was possible to calculate average sedimentation rates for the playas.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 1977
- Bibcode:
- 1977PhDT........28G
- Keywords:
-
- Geomagnetism;
- Playas;
- Secular Variations;
- Sediments;
- Archaeology;
- Arizona;
- Nevada;
- Paleomagnetism;
- Geophysics