HR: 11:35h
AN: GP52A-06 [Abstracts]
TI: Paleomagnetism of the Pringle Falls Polarity Episode (Pringle Falls, Oregon): A Revisited Study
AU: * Herrero-Bervera, E
EM: herrero@soest.hawaii.edu
AF: University of Hawaii at Manoa, SOEST-HIGP, Paleomagnetics and Petrofabrics and
Laboratory, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
AB:
We have studied a total of 827 samples drilled from five widely spaced profiles sampled along the Deschutes
River Oregon. The five profiles sampled recorded a high-resolution paleomagnetic record of the Pringle Falls
magnetic polarity episode (ca. 218±10 ka) and are characterized by diatomaceous lacustrine sediments. We
have conducted paleomagnetic and rock magnetic studies in order to investigate the reproducibility of the
paleomagnetic signal throughout the 5 km of the sampling of the five profiles. We conducted low-field vs.
susceptibility analysis to determine the magnetic carriers of the sediments and we found that the main magnetic
carrier is pure magnetite (Curie point 575°C). The magnetic grain size indicated SD-MD magnetite. The
demagnetization of the sediments was done by means of alternating field methods and the determination of the
mean directions by principal component analyses. The level of detail of the paleo-signal of these five records is
highly consistent since they are characterized by rapidly deposited sediments (greater than 10 cm/kyr) that
provide detailed representation of field behavior during the excursion. The VGP paths are highly internally
consistent and are defined by a clockwise loop traveling from high northern latitudes over the eastern part of
North America and the North Atlantic to South America and then to high southern latitudes and that return to high
northern latitudes through the Pacific and over Kamchatka. This last clockwise looping is characteristic of other
recently found excursions like the Iceland basin excursion (IBE, 188 ka). The published age of the Pringle falls
excursion (ca. 218±10 ka) and the most recent radiometric ages (weighted mean 211 ± 11 ka, Singer
et al., 2005) indicate that the dominance of such VGP paths (i.e. clockwise looping) of the Pringle Falls, the IBE,
Jamaica and other excursion of the same age show that the excursional paleofield had a relatively simple
geometric characteristic. A corollary of the latter option is that paleomagnetic polarity episodes of different ages
may have similar transition polar paths, a conclusion implying that a common mechanism of the generation of
the paleofield is involved.
DE: 1513 Geomagnetic excursions
DE: 1520 Magnetostratigraphy
DE: 1530 Rapid time variations
DE: 1535 Reversals: process, timescale, magnetostratigraphy
DE: 1560 Time variations: secular and longer
SC: Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism [GP]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly