EAS-450 Physics and Chemistry of the Earth

Laboratory exercise - Paleomagnetism

Objective: Understand and manipulate the concepts of virtual geomagnetic pole and
paleomagnetic pole.
1. Mapping a paleomagnetic direction (I,D) at a site ( s, s) to a virtual geomagnetic pole
( p, p)
a. Using a stereonet:
i. Assume that the sampling location is at the south pole:
Identify the small circle located at an angle:
1.
m = 90 - m = 90 - atan[tan(I)/2]
from your sampling location: the paleomagnetic pole is located
somewhere on that circle.
Identify the great circle at an angle D.
2.
Plot a circle at the intersection of these two circles: this is the location
3.
of the paleomagnetic pole with respect to your sampling site.
ii. Bring the sampling site to its actual location:
Rotate your figure about a pole at (0,90) by 90+s
1.
Rotate your figure about a pole at (-90,0) by s
2.
Read the atitude and longitude of the VGP
3.

b. Using an analytical procedure:

sin p sin s cos p cos s sin p cos D

p s ,

for

p s 180 ,
with

sin

cos p sin s sin p

for

cos p sin s sin p

sin p sin D
cos p

c. From the paleomagnetic directions (Iobs,Dobs) measured at sampling locations (s,s),

find the latitude and longitude of the VGP:

Notes:
Problems a to l are trivial (reflection only), m to t are fairly trivial (reflection plus calculator)
Problems u to y are less trivial (reflection plus stereoprojection or computer): provide
stereonet and computer-based solution (using Excel).
2. Estimating a paleomagnetic pole.
The so-called Fisher analysis is a method for calculating the mean direction of a set of vectors.
These vectors can be paleomagnetic directions defined by [I,D], but also VGP directions defined
by [p,p].
Find the cartesian components of unit vector (Ii,Di):

ni cos I i cos Di
ei cos I i sin Di
d i sin I i

(ni = north component, ei = east component, di = downward component)

Calculate the vector sun R(Rn,Re,Rd):
N

i 1

i 1

i 1

Rn ni ; Re ei ; Rd d i
The best estimate of the mean directions (IR,DR) is simply the inclination and declination of R,
converted back to spherical coordinates as follows:

Rd

I R tan 1

DR tan 1

; 90 o I R 90 o

R R
Re
; 180 o DR 180 o
Rn
2
n

2
e

The precision parameter K is given by:

K

N 1
NR

Where N is the number of vectors being averaged and R the length if vector R given by:
R

Rn2 Re2 Rd2

The 95% cone of confidence about the mean vector is usually apparoximated by:
95

140 0
KN

a. Program the Fisher test in Excel. In order to check your program, use the following
example:
I
D
I
70
10
88
75
350
85
80
349
89
82
19
74
The Fisher analysis should yield:
Rn=1.19938; Re=0.04985; Rd=7.83739
N=8; R=7.92879
IR=81.29 o; DR=2.38 o
K=98.30; 95=4.99o

D
190
22
159
358

b. In the Appalachians you sample sediments of Carboniferous age (~330 Ma) at a site
located at [35oN, 275oE]. The bed you are sampling in is known to have been folded
in the Late Permian. You sample at five sites on the limbs of a syncline, measure
strike and dip of the beds at each location, and measure the paleomagnetic directions I
and D in the lab. The data are given in the following table:
Site

Uncorrected directions

Orientation of bed

Corrected directions

1
2
3
4
5

I
-59
-45
-17
19
30

D
18
348
327
326
335

Strike
30
35
120
210
205

Dip
60 SE
25 SE
5 SW
45 NW
60 NW

i. Find the Fisher mean paleomagnetic direction, K, and 95 for the uncorrected
directions.
ii. Make the tectonic correction for each site.
iii. Find the Fisher mean paleomagnetic direction, K, and 95 for the corrected
directions.
iv. Plot the tectonically uncorrected and corrected data on a stereonet.
v. Comparing these plots and accounting for your values of K and 95, what can
you conclude about the time of magnetization?
vi. Use your results to calculate an apparent paleomagnetic pole for that time.
vii. What conclusions can you draw about the rotation and translation of the
sampling site?