Further Reading | P-Mag Lab

Joseph Stoner was a featured speaker at the July 2009 PAGES Open Science Meeting, hosted by OSU in Corvallis. Watch his talk, titled “Magnetic stratigraphy: Regional and global opportunities for synchronizing paleoclimate records,” by clicking on the above link. Click on the following links for more information on the meeting’s speakers or PAGES.

The paleomagnetic record of the geomagnetic field preserved in sediments provides a range of stratigraphic opportunities at a variety of temporal (sub-centennial to tectonic) and spatial (regional to global) scales. Reversals and excursions may provide age control at discrete intervals through the geomagetic polarity and geomagnetic instability timescales, while curves of secular variation in either directions or intensity may, under optimal conditions, provide continuous age control. Temporal and spatial uncertainties in magnetic stratigraphy reflect our incomplete understanding of the geomagnetic field and its evolution; a problem further compounded by the complexity of the magnetic acquisition process. Because geomagnetic field behavior cannot at present be predicted by theory, a principal challenge remains defining the “true” geomagnetic record for any location and/or time interval. Of secondary importance is defining the transfer function between geomagnetic input and the acquired paleomagnetic signal. New observations are beginning to constrain both the detailed dynamics of the geomagnetic field and the uncertainties inherent to its recording. Here, I will present an overview outlining the strengths and uncertainties of magnetic stratigraphy, with an eye towards future developments and burgeoning opportunities in this field of study.