ALBERT

Description: The paleomagnetic and rock magnetic properties of 51 Jurassic basalts from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 801C have been examined. Magnetic properties vary with lithologic composition; alkalic rocks and hydrothermally-altered tholeiites are much weaker in intensity and generally contain higher coercivity magnetic components than the older and less-altered tholeiites at the base of the hole. For the entire column, the Jurassic basalts have an average initial natural remanent magnetization (NRM) intensity of approximately 1.24 A/m and average median destructive fields (MDF) of 8.31 mT. These values and the mean Koenigsberger ratio of 1.7 are very similar to results obtained for Jurassic basalts from the Atlantic (DSDP Leg 76). The similarities suggest that the basalts of both sites and their remanence characteristics are representative of Jurassic oceanic crust. The most profound discovery in these samples was the presence of 5 inclination zones, each showing consistent positive (or negative) polarity opposite the overlying and underlying polarity bands. We interpret these to represent a record of change in polarity of the EarthÆs magnetic field and, because of the large number over such a short interval (60 m) of crust, we assert that the rapid change in polarity during the Jurassic is the probable reason behind the origin of the Jurassic Quiet Zone.

Description: Cretaceous basalts have been recovered at several Ocean Drilling Program and Deep Sea Drilling Project sites where basement of Jurassic age was predicted. Sites 800 and 802, Leg 129, both fall in this category. We have examined the paleomagnetic properties of 25 basalt samples from Site 802 in order to establish a paleolatitude for the site at the time of basalt emplacement and to compare the results to those from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 462. Mean natural remanent magnetization intensity for the Site 802 basalts was found to be approximately 12 A/m consistent with typical oceanic basalts. Mean stable inclination is -34.7° ± 2.2 which implies a paleolatitude of approximately 19.4°S. This is very similar to the paleolatitudes calculated for Site 462 basalts and suggests - along with similarities in geochemistry, magnetic properties, and projected age of Site 802 basalt emplacement - both contemporaneity of and a possible source link between the two sites.

Description: Early Triassic and Late to Middle Permian magnetostratigraphic investigations are numerous and span the globe. More than 20 magnetostratigraphic sequences have documented all or part of the Early Triassic geomagnetic field polarity, and 〉 27 have examined the Late and Middle Permian; 13 span the Permian-Triassic boundary. In order to assess the exact polarity sequence in the time period surrounding the Permian-Triassic boundary, the sequences have been compared diagrammatically. Four distinctive intervals of geomagnetic polarity characterize the Early Triassic, and have been named for discussion purposes: Gries N, Diener R-N, Smith N, and Spath N. A polarity pattern for the Mid- and Late Permian is also recognizable. The Mid- and Late Permian are characterized by two normal polarity intervals (Chang N and Capitan N) of greater apparent duration than those of the Early Triassic. Below the Permo-Triassic Gries N, a distinctive short duration reversed-normal-reversed polarity pattern characterizes the uppermost Changhsingian. The oldest normal polarity in the Middle Permian occurred during the Wordian Stage, established by results from three global sequences. Therefore, the geomagnetic field resumed reversing behaviour after the [~]50 Ma-long constant polarity of the Kiaman Reversed Polarity Superchron ( Illawarra reversals') during the Mid- to Late Wordian, or [~]267 Ma. Very significantly, the magnetostratigraphic summary from this work indicates that the Siberian Traps were active in the Late Permian and spanned the Permian-Triassic boundary. This new geomagnetic polarity dating of the massive Siberian flood basalt activity suggests long-term eruption and environmental degradation, therefore making this igneous activity the most likely cause of the end-Permian mass extinctions. Magnetostratigraphy suggests that eruptions probably commenced in the Late Guadalupian; therefore, the eruptions of two large igneous provinces, Emishan and Siberian, were probably partly simultaneous during part of the Mid- to Late Permian. Environmental havoc throughout the late Mid- and Late Permian is easy to imagine, stressing the environment prior to probably more voluminous eruptions at the end of the Guadalupian and Permian. Siberian eruptions continued through the early Early Triassic, and probably contributed to the slow biotic recovery.