Constraints on Earth's oldest magnetic field
Abstract
The strength of the Earth's early geomagnetic field is of importance for understanding the evolution of the Earth's core, surface environment and atmosphere. Palaeomagnetic and palaeointensity data from rocks formed near the boundary of the Proterozoic and Archaean eons (~2.5 Ga), show many hallmarks of the more recent geomagnetic field: Reversals are recorded and available palaeointensity values are similar to those from younger rocks. Interestingly, paleosecular variation data indicate a dipole-dominated morphology, possible more dipolar than that seen in the 0-5 Ma geomagnetic field (Smirnov and Tarduno, GRL, 2004). This is consistent with some numerical geodynamo simulations with a smaller inner core. Here we discuss efforts to see through the ubiquitous low grade metamorphism that effects Archean rocks to obtain even older records of the magnetic field. Specifically, we use a CO2 laser heating approach and direct-current SQUID magnetometer measurements to obtain palaeodirections and intensities from single silicate crystals that host magnetite inclusions. We have found 3.2 Ga field strengths that are within 50% of the present-day value. This contrasts with some prior assertions that the mid-Archean field was some 10 times weaker than present-day (the prior studies were derived from rocks with secondary thermochemical remanent magnetizations rather than primary thermoremanent magnetizations). We will discuss our efforts to examine even older records potentially preserved in rocks of the Kaapvaal Craton of southern Africa, and the implications of these results for core evolution.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFMDI31A0247T
- Keywords:
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- 1507 Core processes (1213;
- 8115);
- 1521 Paleointensity;
- 8124 Earth's interior: composition and state (1212;
- 7207;
- 7208;
- 8105)