Some rockmagnetic parameters for natural goethite, pyrrhotite and fine-grained hematite

Abstract

The increasing importance of sediments for paleomagnetic research prompted a study of rockmagnetic parameters of natural goethite, pyrrhotite and hematite. Grain-size dependent behaviour of such parameters is poorly known for goethite and pyrrhotite as well as for fine-grained hematite. Data of hematite indicate a complex rockmagnetic behaviour. Existing data seem to be contradictory in many aspects. The rockmagnetic parameters reported in the present thesis for the natural goethite and pyrrhotite samples comprise twelve grain-size fractions from 250 micrometer down to <5 micrometer. For the natural hematite sample, which has a low-temperature origin, the <5 micrometer fraction was divided into six grain-size fractions down to <0.25 micrometer.