Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 25 November 1988:
Vol. 242. no. 4882, pp. 1152 - 1155
DOI: 10.1126/science.242.4882.1152
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Laser-Selective Demagnetization: A New Technique in Paleomagnetism and Rock Magnetism

Paul R. Renne 1 and Tullis C. Onstott 1

1 Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544

Laser-selective demagnetization (LSD) enables the determination of the magnetic moment associated with individual mineral grains in thin sections of rock. Small volumes can be demagnetize with laser pulses directed through the optics of a microscope, permitting resolution of remanence components in individual mineral grains. LSD of mafic granulite samples revealed two paleomagnetic directional components of opposite polarity: one resided in coarse magnetite, the other in ilmenohematite-hemoilmenite exsolution intergrowths and fine magnetite indusions in clinopyroxene. These directions are consistent with those inferred from bulk demagnetization techniques, but LSD permits direct identification of the remanence carriers. The ability to discriminate magnetization components in different generations of a single mineral and to define intergrain magnetic moment distributions are significant advantages of LSD.

Submitted on July 14, 1988
Accepted on September 29, 1988


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Exsolved magnetite inclusions in silicates: Features determining their remanence behavior.
J. M. Feinberg, G. R. Scott, P. R. Renne, and H.-R. Wenk (2005)
Geology 33, 513-516
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)