Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geomagnetic reversals in the paleozoic: A transitional field, polarity bias, and mantle convection

  • Published:
Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper analyzes previously published results of studies of detailed records of geomagnetic reversals in sedimentary and volcanic sequences of the Paleozoic in the Siberian and Eastern European platforms. It is shown that the processes of geomagnetic reversals, both in the Early Paleozoic and at the end of this era, are well described by a model in which the transitional field is controlled by an equatorial dipole. During a reversal, this dipole maintained a magnetic field at the Earth’s surface whose intensity amounted to about 20% of the intensity before and after the reversal. The equatorial dipole existed before and during the reversal and was responsible for the deviation from antipodality of paleomagnetic poles of adjacent polarity chrons (the so-called reversal bias). The position of the equatorial dipole axis during the Paleozoic correlates with the supposed geometry of convective motions in the mantle at that time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. B. Bogachkin and E. A. Molostovskii, “Vyatka River Type Section of the Tatarian,” in Results of Paleomagnetic Sampling of Sections (GEOS, Moscow, 2001), pp. 69–76 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  2. A. S. Bol’shakov and G. M. Solodovnikov, “Geomagnetic Field Intensity in the Lower Triassic,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 221(4) (1975).

  3. A. S. Bol’shakov and G. M. Solodovnikov, “Geomagnetic Field Reversals in the Early Triassic,” Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Fiz. Zemli, No. 6, 60–66 (1976).

  4. B. V. Burov, “Details of Permian Reversals,” in Paleomagnetic Methods in Redbed Studies, Ed. by V. P. Boronin (Kazanskii Universitet, Kazan, 1977), pp. 92–102 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  5. B. V. Burov, R. A. Komissarova, I. P. Slautsitais, and A. N. Khramov, “Geomagnetic Reversals at the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Boundary,” in Paleomagnetism and Plate Tectonics Problems (VNIGRI Proc, Issue 394), Ed. by A. N. Khramov (1997), pp. 13–26 [in Russian].

  6. F. S. Fainberg and E. N. Lind, “Some Problems of Paleomagnetism of Intrusive Traps in the Western Siberian Platform,” in The Present and the Past of the Earth’s Magnetic Field, Ed. by M. L. Ozerskaya (Nauka, Moscow, 1965), pp. 264–270 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  7. Y. Gallet and V. P. Pavlov, “Magnetostratigraphy of the Kulyumbe River Key Section, Northwestern Siberian Platform,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 12, 60–69 (1998) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 34, 1018–1026 (1998)].

  8. G. Z. Gurarii, Geomagnetic Field during Reversals in the Late Cenozoic (Nauka, Moscow, 1988) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  9. G. Z. Gurarii and V. M. Trubikhin, “Paleomagnetic Results from Upper Cambrian Redbeds of the Irkutsk Amphitheater,” Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR. Ser. Fiz. Zemli, No. 6, 86–92 (1968).

  10. G. Z. Gurarii and G. N. Petrova, “Geomagnetic Field Reversals,” in Brief History and Current State of Geomagnetic Research at the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ed. by S. P. Burlatskaya, A. N. Didenko, and Z. V. Sharonova (IFZRAN, Moscow, 2004), pp. 56–66 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  11. E. L. Gurevich, “Paleomagnetism of the Triassic in the Lena-Olenek Structural-Facial Zone,” in Magnetostratigraphy and Paleomagnetism of Sedimentary and Volcanic Rocks in the USSR, Ed. by A. N. Khramov (VNIGRI, Leningrad, 1986), pp. 57–64 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  12. E. L. Gurevich, “Paleomagnetism of the Permian-Triassic Sequence of Western Taimyr,” in Paleomagnetism and Paleogeodynamics of the USSR, Ed. by A. N. Khramov (VNIGRI, Leningrad, 1991), pp. 74–82 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  13. E. L. Gurevich, A. N. Khramov, V. P. Rodionov, et al., “Paleomagnetism of Ordovician and Devonian Sedimentary Rocks in the Northwest of the Russian Platform: New Constraints on the Baltica Kinematics in the Paleozoic and the Remagnetization in the Permian-Triassic,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 7, 48–64 (2005) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 41, 555–570 (2005)].

  14. E. E. Gurevitch, M. Westphal, J. Daragan-Suchov, et al., “Palaeomagnetism and Magnetostratigraphy of the Traps from Western Taimyr (Northern Siberia) and the Permo-Triassic Crisis,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 136(3–4), 461–473 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. E. E. Gurevitch, C. Heunemann, V. Rad’ko, et al., “Palaeomagnetism and Magnetostratigraphy of the Permian-Triassic Northwest Central Siberian Trap Basalts,” Tectonophysics 379, 211–226 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. E. Herrero-Bervera and C. E. Helsley, “Paleomagnetism of a Polarity Transition in the Lower Triassic Chugwater Formation, Wyoming,” J. Geophys. Res. 88(D4), 3506–3522 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  17. C. Heunemann, D. Krasa, H. C. Soffel, et al., “Directions and Intensities of the Earth’s Magnetic Field during a Reversal: Results from the Permo-Triassic Siberian Trap Basalts, Russia,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 218, 197–213 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. K. A. Hoffman and S. W. Boque, “Morphology of Geomagnetic Reversals,” Rev. Geophys. 25(5), 910–916 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  19. A. G. Iosifidi, A. N. Khramov, V. P. Rodionov, et al., “Geomagnetic Reversals in the Early Paleozoic: 2. A Nonsynchronous Record of Middle Ordovician Reversals in the Berezovskaya Section, Southern Siberian Platform,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 1, 28–37 (1999) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 35, 24–32 (1999)].

  20. D. V. Kent and M. A. Smethurst, “Shallow Bias of Paleomagnetic Inclinations in the Paleozoic and Precambrian,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 160, 391–402 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. A. N. Khramov, G. I. Goncharov, R. A. Komissarova, et al., Paleomagnetism of the Paleozoic (VNIGRI, Leningrad, 1974) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  22. A. N. Khramov and V. P. Rodionov, “The Problem of Laurasia in the Early and Middle Paleozoic in Light of Paleomagnetic Data,” in Paleomagnetism and Plate Tectonics Problems, Ed. by A. N. Khramov. (VNIGRI, Leningrad, 1977), pp. 108–140 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  23. A. N. Khramov and V. P. Rodionov, “The Geomagnetic Field during Palaeozoic Time,” J. Geomagn. Geoelectr. 32,Suppl. III, 99–115 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  24. A. N. Khramov, G. I. Goncharov, R. A. Komissarova, et al., Paleomagnetology (Nedra, Leningrad, 1982) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  25. A. N. Khramov, V. P. Rodionov, R. A. Komissarova, et al., “Geomagnetic Reversals in the Early Paleozoic: Recording Problems and Morphology,” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by A. N. Didenko (OIFZ RAN, Moscow, 1996), pp. 87–88 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  26. E. E. Larson and T. R. Walker, “Comment on ‘Paleomagnetism of a Polarity Transition in the Lower Triassic Chugwater Formation, Wyoming’ by E. Herrero-Bervera, C.E. Helsley,” J. Geophys. Res. 90(B2), 2060–2062 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. M. P. I. Llanos, J. A. Tait, V. V. Popov, and A. Abalmasova, “Paleomagnetic Data from Ediacaran (Vendian) Sediments of the Arkhangelsk Region, NW Russia: An Alternative Apparent Polar Wander Path of Baltica for the Later Proterozoic-Early Palaeozoic,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 240, 732–747 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. M. W. McElhinny and P. L. McFadden, Paleomagnetism. Continents and Oceans (Acad. Press, San Diego, 2000).

    Google Scholar 

  29. M. W. McElhinny, Ch. McA. Powell, and S. A. Pisarevsky, Paleozoic Terranes of Eastern Australia and the Drift History of Gondwana, Tectonophysics 362, 41–65 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. R. T. Merrill, M. W. McElhinny, and P. L. McFadden, The Magnetic Field of the Earth. Paleomagnetism, the Core and the Deep Mantle (Acad. Press, San Diego, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  31. R. T. Merrill and P. L. McFadden, “Geomagnetic Polarity Transitions,” Rev. Geophys. 37, 201–226 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. V. E. Pavlov, A. N. Khramov, V. P. Rodionov, and Y. Gallet, “Magnetostratigraphy of the Polovinka Key Section, Midstream Lena River: Did the Geomagnetic Polarity Change in the Early Llandeilian?,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 5, 61–71 (1999) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 35, 402–412 (1999).

  33. V. E. Pavlov, Y. Gallet, S. V. Shipunov, and V. Yu. Vodovozov, “Paleomagnetism of the Upper Riphean Lakhandinskaya Group in the Uchuro-Maiskii Area and the Hypothesis of the Late Proterozoic Supercontinent,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 8, 35–47 (2000) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 36, 638–648 (2000)].

  34. V. Pavlov and Y. Gallet, “Middle Cambrian High Magnetic Reversal Frequency (Kulumbe River Section, Northwestern Siberia) and Reversal Behaviour during the Early Palaeozoic, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 185, 173–183 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  35. V. E. Pavlov, Y. Gallet, A. V. Shatsillo, and V. Yu. Vodovozov, “Paleomagnetism of the Lower Cambrian from the Lower Lena River Valley: Constraints on the Apparent Polar Wander Path from the Siberian Platform and the Anomalous Behavior of the Geomagnetic Field at the Beginning of the Phanerozoic,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 2, 28–49 (2004) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 40, 114–133 (2004)].

  36. L. J. Pesonen and H. Nevanlinna, “Late Precambrian Keweenawan Asymmetric Reversals,” Nature 294(5840), 436–439 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. L. J. Pesonen and H. Nevanlinna, “Two Successive Reversal Transitions from Crete Described by a Two-Dipole Model with Standing and Time Varying Components,” J. Geomagn. Geoelectr. 40, 77–94 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  38. G. N. Petrova, “Geomagnetic Field Reversals (a Review),” Geomagn. Aeron. 27(2), 177–196 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  39. G. N. Petrova, T. B. Nechaeva, and G. A. Pospelova, Characteristic Variations in the Geomagnetic Field in the Past (Nauka, Moscow, 1992) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  40. V. V. Popov, “Paleomagnetism of Upper Vendian Sedimentary Rocks of the Zolotitsa River Section (Winter Coast, White Sea),” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by V. P. Shcherbakov (GEOS, Moscow, 2001), pp. 71–73 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  41. V. V. Popov, A. N. Khramov, A. G. Iosifidi, and V. Bakhtadze, “Paleomagnetism of Upper Vendian Sedimentary Rocks of the Winter Coast, White Sea,” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by V. P. Shcherbakov (GEOS, Moscow, 2000), pp. 55–57 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  42. V. V. Popov, A. G. Iosifidi, A. N. Khramov, et al., “Palaeomagnetism of Upper Vendian Sediments from the Winter Coast, White Sea Region, Russia: Implications for the Palaeogeography of Baltica during Neoproterozoic Times,” J. Geophys. Res. 107(B11), 2315 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. V. P. Rodionov, “On Variations in the Primary Magnetization in Cambrian-Ordovician Transition Sequences,” Rock Magnetism and Paleomagnetism, Ed. by G. N. Petrova (IFZ AN SSSR, Moscow, 1969) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  44. V. P. Rodionov, A. N. Khramov, S. A. Pisarevskii, et al., “Geomagnetic Reversals in the Early Paleozoic. 1. A Late Cambrian Reversal Recorded in the Ichera Section, Southern Siberian Platform,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 12, 50–59 (1998) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 34, 1009–1017 (1998).

  45. V. P. Rodionov, V. E. Pavlov, and Y. Gallet, “Magnetic Polarity Structure of the Stratotype Section of the Mid-Ordovician Kirenskii-Kudrinskii and Chertovskii Horizons (up the Lena River, above the Town of Kirensk) in Relation to the Ordovician Geomagnetic Superchron,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 6, 67–71 (2001) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 37, 498–502 (2001)].

  46. V. P. Rodionov, E. L. Gurevich, S. I. Morshchikhin, and R. A. Komissarova, “Reality of the Normal Polarity Orthozone in the Khadar R Superzone of the Lower Ordovician in the Southern Siberian Platform,” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by A. K. Gapeev (GEOS, Moscow, 2002), pp. 80–81 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  47. V. P. Rodionov, M. J. Dekkers, A. N. Khramov, et al., “Paleomagnetism and Cyclostratigraphy of the Middle Ordovician Krivolutsky Suite, Krivaya Luka Section, Southern Siberian Platform: Record of Non-Synchronous NRM-Components or a Non-Axial Geomagnetic Field?,” Stud. Geophys. Geod. 47, 255–274 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. P. W. Schmidt, “Proterozoic Glaciations: Low-Latitudes or Non-Dipole Field?,” in Nordic Palaeomagnetic Symposium Aarhus University, Ed. by N. Abrahamsen (1999), Vol. 8, pp. 109–113.

  49. A. V. Shatsillo, A. N. Didenko, and V. E. Pavlov, “Two Concurrent Paleomagnetic Directions in the Upper Vendian: Final Results of the Study of Sedimentary Sequences in the Cis-Sayan and Cis-Baikal Regions,” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by A. K. Gapeev (GEOS, Moscow, 2003), pp. 90–93 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  50. A. V. Shatsillo, S. V. Shipunov, S. Yu. Orlov, et al., “New Paleomagnetic Evidence for the Tatarian of the Russian Platform,” in Paleomagnetism and Magnetism of Rocks, Ed. by A. K. Gapeev (GEOS, Moscow, 2006), pp. 177 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  51. J. Si and R. Van der Voo, “Two-Low Magnetic Inclinations in Central Asia: An Indication of a Long-Term Tertiary Non-Dipole Field?,” Terra Nova 13, 417–478 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. I. P. Slautsitais, “Paleomagnetism of Triassic Volcanic Rocks on the Taimyr Peninsula,” in Magnetostratigraphy and Paleomagnetism of Sedimentary and Volcanic Rocks in the USSR, Ed. by A. N. Khramov (VNIGRI, Leningrad, 1986), pp. 47–57 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  53. G. M. Solodovnikov, “Geomagnetic Field Paleointensity in the Early Triassic,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 9, 72–79 (1994).

  54. O. G. Sorokhtin, “Density Convection in the Earth’s Mantle and the Possible Origin of Tectonic Cycles,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 5, 29–42 (1974).

  55. O. G. Sorokhtin and S. A. Ushakov, Global Evolution of the Earth (MGU, Moscow, 1991) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  56. Stratigraphic Code of Russia, Ed. by A. I. Zhamoida, 3rd ed. (VSEGEI-MSK, St. Petersburg, 2006) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  57. Yu. F. Surkis, M. Vestfal, V. P. Rodionov, et al., “Geomagnetic Reversals in the Early Paleozoic: 3. Reversals Recorded in Redbeds of the Lower Ordovician Mandra Section, Siberia,” Fiz. Zemli, No. 5, 1–12 (1999) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 35, 347–357 (1999)].

  58. T. H. Torsvik, A. Trench, K. C. Lohmann, and S. Dunn, “Lower Ordovician Reversal Asymmetry: An Artifact of Remagnetization or Non-Dipole Field Disturbance?,” J. Geophys. Res. 100, 17885–17898 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. T. H. Torsvik and M. A. Smethurst, “Plate Tectonic Modeling: Virtual Reality with GMAP,” Comput Geosci. 25, 395–402 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. T. H. Torsvik and R. Van der Voo, “Refining Gondwana and Pangea Paleogeography. Estimates of Phanerozoic Non-Dipole (Octupole) Fields,” Geophys. J. Int. 151, 771–794 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. R. Van der Voo and T. H. Torsvik, “Evidence for Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic Non-Dipole Fields Provides an Explanation for the Pangea Reconstruction Problems,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 187, 71–81 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. M. Westphal, Yu. F. Surkis, E. L. Gurevich, and A. N. Khramov, “Kiama-Illavarra Geomagnetic Reversal Recorded in a Tatarian Stratotype (the Kazan Region),” Fiz. Zemli, No. 8, 41–62 (2005) [Izvestiya, Phys. Solid Earth 41, 634–653 (2005)].

  63. V. N. Zharkov, Internal Structure of the Earth and Planets (Nauka, Moscow, 1983) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. All-Russia Petroleum Research Exploration Institute (ARPREI), Liteinyi pr. 39, St. Petersburg, 191104, Russia

    A. N. Khramov

Authors
  1. A. N. Khramov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Original Russian Text © A.N. Khramov, 2007, published in Fizika Zemli, 2007, No. 10, pp. 4–14.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khramov, A.N. Geomagnetic reversals in the paleozoic: A transitional field, polarity bias, and mantle convection. Izv., Phys. Solid Earth 43, 800–810 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1069351307100023

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1069351307100023

PACS numbers

Search

Navigation