Geomagnetism is the study of the Earth's magnetic field, while paleomagnetism is defined as the study of the history of the geomagnetic field. Because a record of the geomagnetic field is often recorded by rocks during their formation, magnetism is the only geophysical property of the Earth that can be measured and studied over significant periods of Earth history.
Historical Perspective
Magnetism as a physical property was probably known to ancient humans, although perhaps the earliest record of magnetic repulsion came from ancient Egypt. Much of this knowledge was gained through observation of the properties of lodestone, a rock composed almost entirely of the mineral magnetite. The property of magnetized needles to point to the north was probably known by the Chinese hundreds of years before Christ, however, this knowledge did not reach the West until the twelfth century A.D. (Tarling, 1983). Peter Peregrinus, a Frenchman, studied the magnetic properties of lodestone spheres in the...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Beck, M. E., Jr., 1980, Paleomagnetic record of platemargin tectonic processes along the western edge of North America, Jour. Geophys. Research 85, 7115–7131.
Cox, A., R. R. Doell, and G. B. Dalrymple, 1963, Geomagnetic polarity epochs and Pleistocene geochronology, Nature 198, 1049–1051.
Creer, K. M., 1977, Geomagnetic secular variations during the last 25,000 years: an interpretation of data obtained from rapidly deposited sediments, Royal Astron. Soc. Geophys. Jour. 48, 91–110.
Ellwood, B. B., 1978, Flow and emplacement direction determined for selected basaltic bodies using magnetic anisotropy measurements, Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 41, 254–264.
Ellwood, B. B., 1983, The effect of bioturbation on the magnetic fabric of some natural and experimental sediments, EOS 64, 219.
Ellwood, B. B., and M. T. Ledbetter, 1977, Antarctic bottom water fluctuations in the Vema Channel: Effects of velocity changes on particle alignment and size, Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 35, 189–198.
Ellwood, B. B., and J. A. Whitney, 1980, Magnetic fabric of the Elberton Granite, northeast Georgia, Jour. Geophys. Research 85, 1481–1486.
Gilbert, W., 1600, De Magnete.
Halls, H. C., 1976, A least-squares method to find a remanence direction from converging remagnetization circles, Royal Astron. Soc. Geophys. Jour. 45, 298–304.
Heirtzler, J. R., G. O. Dickson, E. M. Herron, W.C., III Pitman, and X. LePichon, 1968, Marine magnetic anomalies, geomagnetic field reversals and motions of the ocean floor and continents, Jour. Geophys. Research 73, 2119–2136.
Hospers, J., 1954, Rock magnetism and polar wandering, Nature 173, 1183.
Hrouda, F., 1982. Magnetic anisotropy of rocks and its application in geology and geophysics, Geophys. Surveys 5, 37–82.
Irving, R., 1964, Paleomagnetism and Its Application to Geological and Geophysical Problems. New York: Wiley, 339p.
Kirschvink, J. L., 1980, The least squares line and plane and the analysis of paleomagnetic data, Royal Astron. Soc. Geophys. Jour. 62, 699–718.
Matuyama, M., 1929, On the direction of magnetization of basalt in Japan, Tyozen, and Manchuria, Japan Acad. Proc. 5, 203–205.
McClelland-Brown, E. A., 1981, Paleomagnetic estimates of temperatures reached in contact metamorphism, Geology 9, 112–116.
McDougall, I., and D. H. Tarling, 1963, Dating of polarity zones in the Hawaiian Islands, Nature 200, 54–56.
McDougall, J., and D. H. Tarling, The magnetic provenancing of some Mediterranean obsidians, Jour. Arch. Sci. in press.
McElhinny, M. W., 1973, Paleomagnetism and Plate Tectonics. London: Cambridge University Press, 358p.
Nagata, T., 1965, Main characteristics of the geomagnetic secular variation, Jour. Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity 17, 263–276.
Park, J. K., 1983, Paleomagnetism for geologists, Geoscience Canada 10, 180–188.
Roy, J. L., and J. K. Park, 1974, The magnetization process of certain red beds: Vector analysis of chemical and thermal results, Canadian Jour. Earth Sci. 11, 437–471.
Schwarz, E. J., 1977, Depth of burial from remanent magnetization: The Sudbury irruptive at the time of diabase intrusion (1250 ma), Canadian Jour. Earth Sci. 14, 82–88.
Spariosu, D. J., D. V. Kent, and J. D. Keppie, 1984, Late Paleozoic motions of the Meguma terrane, Nova Scotia; New paleomagnetic evidence, in R. Van der Voo, N. Bonhommet, and C. Scotese, eds., Plate Reconstruction from Paleozoic Paleomagnetism. AGU Geodynamics Series, vol. 12. Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union, 82–98.
Stacey, F. D., 1977, Physics of the Earth New York: John Wiley & Sons, 414p.
Vine, F. J., and D. H. Matthews, 1963, Magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges, Nature 199, 947–949.
Wegener, A., 1924, The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Translated by J. G. A. Skerl. London: Methuen.
Cross-references
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Spariosu, D.J. (1988). Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism . In: General Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_47
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_47
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-442-22499-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30844-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive