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Post-depositional Remanent Magnetisation in Deep-sea Sediment

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Abstract

SEDIMENTS of various lithologies cored from most parts of the deep ocean floor have been found to contain a record of the past behaviour of the Earth's magnetic field, especially the sequence of reversals over at least the past 5 m.y. (ref. 1). The mechanism by which these sediments acquired their natural remanent magnetism (NRM) is, however, still poorly understood. We have recently conducted experiments that indicate that post-depositional remanent magnetisation2 is a viable mechanism of magnetisation of deep-sea sediments.

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KENT, D. Post-depositional Remanent Magnetisation in Deep-sea Sediment. Nature 246, 32–34 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/246032a0

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