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Regional character of geomagnetic field directional circularity: Holocene Eastern North America
  • Steven P. Lund
Steven P. Lund
University of Southern California

Corresponding Author:slund@usc.edu

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Abstract

This study summarizes paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) in five published Holocene records from Eastern North America. We have developed 100-year increment time series for the declinations and inclinations for all sites and compared their directional variability. We see evidence of ten correlatable features in both inclination and declination. We focus on the clockwise or counter-clockwise motion of paleomagnetic directions (termed circularity) in these PSV records. We have first calculated the incremental rate and direction of motion (clockwise or counter-clockwise) for each record over the last 4000-8000 years. We have separately looked for discernable looping in individual records. We estimate the loop sizes, durations, and circularity direction. We see the same pattern of circularity in both measurement techniques. There are seven intervals of oscillating circularity and looping in all five sites. Both techniques suggest a distinctive oscillating, teeter-totter like, behavior to PSV circularity that must be due to the pattern of fluid flow in the outer core. This teeter-totter behavior is unbalanced with more time spent in clockwise motion than in counter-clockwise motion. We think the teeter-totter oscillation may be due to torsional oscillation in the outer core fluid flow. The loops have a distribution of sizes and durations with smaller loops being shorter in duration and bigger loops having longer durations. All five PSV records show 5 intervals of ~102 yr significant acceleration in circularity rate and PSV rate combined with change in circularity direction. These features are broadly analogous to historic geomagnetic jerks.