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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 107, NO. B6, 2114, doi:10.1029/2001JB000491, 2002

Geomagnetic excursions and paleointensities in the Matuyama Chron at Ocean Drilling Program Sites 983 and 984 (Iceland Basin)

J. E. T. Channell

Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA


A. Mazaud

Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Gif-sur-Yvette, France


P. Sullivan

Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA


S. Turner

Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA


M. E. Raymo

Department of Earth Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA


Abstract

We report natural remanent magnetization (NRM) directions and geomagnetic paleointensity proxies for part of the Matuyama Chron (0.9–2.2 Ma interval) from two sites located on sediment drifts in the Iceland Basin. At Ocean Drilling Program Sites 983 and 984, mean sedimentation rates in the late Matuyama Chron are 15.9 and 11.5 cm kyr−1, respectively. For the older part of the record (>1.2 Ma), oxygen isotope data are too sparse to provide the sole basis for age model construction. The resemblance of the volume susceptibility record and a reference δ18O record led us to match the two records to derive the age models. This match, based on Site 983/984 susceptibility, is consistent with available Site 983/984 benthic δ18O data. Paleointensity proxies were derived from the slope of the NRM versus anhysteretic remanent magnetization plot for alternating field demagnetization in the 30–60 mT peak field range. Paleointensity lows correspond to polarity reversals at the limits of the Jaramillo, Olduvai, Cobb Mountain, and Réunion Subchrons and to seven excursions in NRM component directions. Magnetic excursions (defined here by virtual geomagnetic polar latitudes crossing the virtual geomagnetic equator) are observed at 932, 1048, 1115, 1190–1215 (Cobb Mountain Subchron), 1255, 1472–1480, 1567–1575 (Gilsa Subchron), and 1977 ka. The results indicate that geomagnetic directional excursions, associated with paleointensity minima, are a characteristic of the Matuyama Chron and probably of polarity chrons in general.

Published 13 June 2002.

Index Terms: 1520 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Magnetostratigraphy; 1513 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Geomagnetic excursions; 1535 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Reversals (process, timescale, magnetostratigraphy); 1521 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Paleointensity.

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Citation: Channell, J. E. T., A. Mazaud, P. Sullivan, S. Turner, and M. E. Raymo (2002), Geomagnetic excursions and paleointensities in the Matuyama Chron at Ocean Drilling Program Sites 983 and 984 (Iceland Basin), J. Geophys. Res., 107(B6), 2114, doi:10.1029/2001JB000491.