Abstract
A fundamental assumption of palaeomagnetism is that rocks can provide a reliable record of the Earth's magnetic field. It is known that as magnetic minerals undergo chemical change they acquire a form of chemical remanent magnetization (CRM)1. Indeed, the magnetic phases formed at different times in the history of the rock may add several components of CRM to its net magnetization2, so that a valid application of palaeomagnetism to the interpretation of geological history requires a knowledge of the different components of CRM and the time of their acquisition. There are two mechanisms responsible for CRM3: mineral alteration and crystal growth. To understand the properties and acquisition mechanisms of CRM associated with the growth of mineral crystals, which is known as grain-growth CRM4, we have developed a technique for the synthesis of haematite crystals under controlled conditions. We find that the acquired magnetization is parallel to the applied magnetic field.
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References
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Stokking, L., Tauxe, L. Acquisition of chemical remanent magnetization by synthetic iron oxide. Nature 327, 610–612 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/327610a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/327610a0
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