Environmental magnetism

Environmental magnetism is the study of magnetism as it relates to the effects of climate, sediment transport, pollution and other environmental influences on magnetic minerals. It makes use of techniques from rock magnetism and magnetic mineralogy. The magnetic properties of minerals are used as proxies for environmental change in applications such as paleoclimate, paleoceanography, studies of the provenance of sediments, pollution and archeology. The main advantages of using magnetic measurements are that magnetic minerals are almost ubiquitous and magnetic measurements are quick and non-invasive.

History

Environmental magnetism was first identified as a distinct field in 1978 and was introduced to a wider audience by the book Environmental Magnetism in 1986. Since then it has grown rapidly, finding application in and making major contributions to a range of diverse fields, especially paleoclimate, sedimentology, paleoceanography, and studies of particulate pollution.. .

Fundamentals

Main article: rock magnetism

Environmental magnetism is built on two parts of rock magnetism: magnetic mineralogy, which looks at how basic magnetic properties depend on composition; and magnetic hysteresis, which can provide details on particle size and other physical properties that also affect the hysteresis. Several parameters have been developed to represent certain features of the hysteresis.

See also

• Smoke

References

• Dekkers, M. J. "Environmental magnetism: an introduction". Geologie en Mijnbouw. 76 (1–2): 163–182. doi:10.1023/A:1003122305503.
• Dunlop, David J.; Özdemir, Özden (1997). Rock magnetism: Fundamentals and Frontiers. Cambridge Univ. Press. ISBN 0-521-32514-5.
• Evans, Michael E.; Heller, Friedrich (2003). Environmental Magnetism: Principles and Applications of Enviromagnetics. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-243851-5.
• Maher, B.A.; Thompson, R. (1999). Quaternary Environments, Climates and Magnetism. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521624177.
• Maher, B.A. (1988). "Magnetic properties of some synthetic sub-micron magnetites". Geophys. J. Roy. Astr. Soc. 94: 83–96. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1988.tb03429.x.
• Oldfield, F.; Dearing, J.A.; Thompson, R.; Garret-Jones, S.E. (1978). "Some magnetic properties of lake sediments and their possible links with erosion rates". Polskie Archive. Hydrobiologia. 25: 321–331.
• Thompson, R.; Oldfield, F. (1986). Environmental Magnetism. Allen and Unwin. ISBN 9780045380039.
• Verosub, Kenneth L.; Roberts, Andrew P. (1995). "Environmental magnetism: Past, present and future". J. Geophys. Res. 100: 2175–2192. doi:10.1029/94JB02713.