Abstract
Palaeomagnetic data from lavas produced at the Hawaii and Society Islands hotspots suggest that one or more specific, long-lived field configurations recur during successive polarity reversals spanning perhaps several million years. The apparent quasistationarity of these states and the relative placement of the two recording sites offer a rare opportunity to explore the fundamental geometrical properties of transitional fields.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bogue, S. W. & Hoffman, K. A. Rev. Geophys. 25, 910–916 (1987).
Hoffman, K. A. Scient. Am. 256, 76–83 (1988).
Laj, C., in The Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics (ed. James, D. E.) 535–547 (Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1989).
Hoffman, K. A. in The Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics (ed. James, D.E.) 547–555 (Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1989).
Clement, B. M. & Constable, C. G. Rev. Geophys. Suppl.: U.S. Nation Rep. to Int. Un. Geodesy Geophys. 1987–1990, 343–348 (1991).
Watkins, N. D. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 17, 121–149 (1969).
Creer, K. M. & Ispir, Y. Phys. Earth planet. Int. 2, 115–127 (1970).
Tric, E. et al. Phys. Earth planet. Int. 63, 319–336 (1991).
Clement, B. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 104, 48–58 (1991).
Laj, C., Mazaud, A., Weeks, R., Fuller, M. & Herrero-Bervera, E. Nature 351, 447 (1991).
Bogue, S. W. Nature 351, 445–446 (1991).
Roberts, P. H. & Stix, M. Astr. Astrophys. 18, 453–466 (1972).
McFadden, P. L., Merrill, R. T. & McElhinny, M. W. J. geophys. Res. 93, 11583–11588 (1988).
Merrill, R. T. & McFadden, P. L. Science 248, 345–350 (1990).
Merrill, R. T. & McFadden, P. L. J. geophys. Res. 93, 11589–11598 (1988).
Bogue, S. W. & Coe, R. S. Nature 295, 399–401 (1982).
Coe, R. S., Hsu, V. & Theyer, F. (abstr.) Eos 66, 872 (1985).
Chauvin, A., Roperch, P. & Duncan, R. A. J. geophys. Res. 95, 2727–2752 (1990).
Roperch, P. & Duncan, R. A. J. geophys. Res. 95, 2713–2726 (1990).
Kirschvink, J. L. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 62, 699–718 (1980).
Hoffman, K. A. J. geophys. Res. 89, 6285–6292 (1984).
Tang, C. & Coe, R. S. SEDI Symp. Abstr. Santa Fe, New Mexico (1990).
Bogue, S. W. & Coe, R. S. J. geophys. Res. 89, 10341–10354 (1984).
Prevot, M., Mankinen, E. A., Gramme, C. S. & Coe, R. S. Nature 316, 230–234 (1985).
Shaw, J. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 40, 345–350 (1975).
Hoffman, K. A. Nature 320, 228–232 (1986).
Laj, C., Guitton, S. & Kissel, C. Nature 330, 145–148 (1987).
Hoffman, K. A. Nature 309, 90–91 (1984).
Valet, J.-P. & Laj, C. Nature 311, 552–555 (1984).
Roperch, P. & Chauvin, A. Geophys. Res. Lett. 14, 151–154 (1987).
Valet, J.-P., Laj, C. & Langereis, C. G. J. geophys. Res. 93, 1131–1151 (1988).
Herrero-Bervera, E., Theyer, F. & Helsley, C. E. Phys. Earth planet. Int. 49, 325–342 (1987).
Clement, B. M. & Kent, D. V. in Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project 94, 831–852 (1986).
Hoffman, K. A. & Slade, S. Geophys. Res. Lett. 13, 483–486 (1986).
Constable, C. G. J. geophys. Res. 95, 4587–4596 (1990).
Rochette, P. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 98, 33–39 (1990).
Liddicoat, J. C. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A3O6 121–128 (1982).
Hillhouse, J. & Cox, A. Earth planet Sci. Lett. 29, 51–64 (1976).
Hoffman, K. A. Science 196, 1329–1332 (1977).
Hoffman, K. A. & Fuller, M. Nature 273, 715–718 (1978).
Williams, I. & Fuller, M. J. geophys. Res. 86, 11657–11665 (1982).
Weeks, R. J., Fuller, M., & Williams, I. J. geophys. Res. 93, 11613–11620 (1988).
Lowes, F. J. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 36, 717 (1974).
Gubbins, D. & Bloxham, J. Nature 325, 509–511 (1987).
Bullard, E. C., Freedman, C., Gellman, H. & Nixon, J. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond A243, 67–92 (1950).
Gubbins, D. Nature 326, 167–169 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoffman, K. Long-lived transitional states of the geomagnetic field and the two dynamo families. Nature 354, 273–277 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/354273a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/354273a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
A paleomagnetic record of the early Matuyama chron including the Réunion subchron and the onset Olduvai boundary: High-resolution magnetostratigraphy and insights from transitional geomagnetic fields
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2020)
-
A record of the upper Olduvai geomagnetic polarity transition from a sediment core in southern Yokohama City, Pacific side of central Japan
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2016)
-
K-Ar ages of the Auckland geomagnetic excursions
Earth, Planets and Space (2014)
-
Further application of the deconvolution method of post-depositional DRM to the precise record of the Matuyama-Brunhes reversal in the sediments from the Boso Peninsula, Japan
Earth, Planets and Space (2014)
-
Geomagnetic polarity transitions recorded in the Miocene lavas of the Wuyu basin, Tibet
Science China Earth Sciences (2011)