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Investigating the Death of the Early Paleozoic Moyero River Geomagnetic Superchron: Middle Ordovician Paleomagnetism from Estonia

Citation

Grappone, Joseph Michael (2016) Investigating the Death of the Early Paleozoic Moyero River Geomagnetic Superchron: Middle Ordovician Paleomagnetism from Estonia. Master's thesis, California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/Z9KS6PJ4. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05252016-102258752

Abstract

Flat-lying Early and Middle Ordovician limestones exposed on the North margin of Estonia provide key insights into the early Paleozoic biosphere and climatic history of the Baltic Platform, and potentially offer a site for calibrating the duration of the proposed Moyero River Reversed Superchron. Past paleomagnetic analyses on these rocks have been focused primarily on determining paleomagnetic pole positions and have been hampered by relatively weak remanent magnetizations. We therefore applied techniques of the Rock and Paleomagnetic Instrument Development (RAPID) consortium using thin-walled, low-noise quartz glass sample holders on an automatic system to enhance magnetostratigraphic resolution. Our results, based on over 300 oriented core samples spanning the stratigraphic interval from the Volkhov stage, up through the Lasnamägi stage, confirm previous work isolating a stable characteristic magnetization of reversed polarity, and furthermore confirm the presence of an interval of magnetically Reversed polarity spanning an interval of at least 15 million year duration. In addition, we recognize a magnetic overprint of presumed Normal polarity held in antiferromagnetic phases, of presumed Permian age, based on the apparent polar wander path given by (Plado et al., 2010).

Item Type:Thesis (Master's thesis)
Subject Keywords:Paleomagnetism, limestone, Ordovician, Moyero River superchron, Estonia
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Geological and Planetary Sciences
Major Option:Geophysics
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Kirschvink, Joseph L. (advisor)
  • Bauert, Heikki (co-advisor)
  • Isozaki, Yukio (co-advisor)
Thesis Committee:
  • Kirschvink, Joseph L. (chair)
  • Bauert, Heikki
  • Isozaki, Yukio
Defense Date:27 May 2016
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:05252016-102258752
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05252016-102258752
DOI:10.7907/Z9KS6PJ4
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Grappone, Joseph Michael0000-0001-5004-8561
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:9749
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Joseph Grappone
Deposited On:02 Jun 2016 22:24
Last Modified:04 Oct 2019 00:13

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