J. Michael Grappone: Improving the productivity of paleomagnetic laboratories
Channel: Institute for Rock Magnetism
Date: 05/06/2021

12th Institute for Rock Magnetism Conference

Session 4: Advances in Instrumentation and Methods
Conveners: Julie Bowles (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Sonia Tikoo (Stanford)

Title: Improving the productivity of paleomagnetic laboratories: on-going advancements and challenges in paleomagnetic instrumentation

Author: J. Michael Grappone

Institution:
Geomagnetism Laboratory, Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK

Abstract:
Investigating the Earth’s magnetic field provides not only an opportunity to investigate changes at Earth’s surface over billions of years but also a unique window into the history of Earth’s outer core, where the field is generated. Given the ages of rocks, and the tumultuous history of the planet, paleomagnetic data are often noisy and complex. Paleomagnetic intensity data, in particular, have long been plagued by large and poorly quantified uncertainties.

The challenge of improving paleomagnetic data quality has been approached by the community from two angles over the last sixty years. From the scientific side, the community has introduced improved techniques and demanded increased statistical and technical rigor in publications. From the engineering side, new magnetometer systems have been introduced that offer higher resolution measurements, higher speed measurements, or a lower cost. These two sides have worked together to produce paleomagnetic surveys with substantially higher fidelity than had been previously possible.

Modern paleomagnetic equipment has largely met the goal of sufficiently high resolution for most applications, but the equipment itself is often either manually intensive (like the ever-reliable Agico JR6) or automated and expensive (such as the RAPID system). As such, like with any progressive sector, there is a continued push toward faster, cheaper, and more reliable designs to meet the dynamic needs of the community. This talk will cover major milestones and on-going challenges in paleomagnetism and spark further discussion during the session.