Magnetic remanence in the Chalk of eastern England: an unusually resistant VRM?

Abstract

AbstractA single component, natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is carried largely by pseudosingle domain magnetite in the Cretaceous Lower Chalk and Red Chalk of eastern England. The Red Chalk also records the same direction in haematite. Most of the ferro-magnetic minerals occur as primary clastic or early diagenetic grains. A stable remanence component is resistant to demagnetization, and is carried by both magnetite and haematite. Nevertheless, it has a steep inclination close to the present Earth's field and it is too steep for the previously reported palaeolatitude of these rocks at the time of sedimentation. A postglacial slump breccia scatters the ChRM but also provides some evidence of viscous, partial magnetic overprinting during slumping. Despite its resistance to thermal and alternating field demagnetization the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) is probably a young Bruhnes epoch viscous remanent remagnetization (VRM).