The rock magnetic fingerprint of chemical remagnetization in midcontinental Paleozoic carbonates

Results of a paleomagnetic and rock magnetic survey of Paleozoic carbonates from 39 sites in the midcontinental U.S. show that many of these sites carry a stable remanence of apparent Permian age. Many of these remagnetized sites also have relatively high anhysteretic susceptibilities, and higher saturation remanence than most of the sites where the late Paleozoic remanence is absent. However the correlation between late Paleozoic remanence and high anhysteretic susceptibility or high saturation remanence is imperfect. The most diagnostic rock magnetic parameter for recognizing remagnetized sites is a ratio of anhysteretic remanence/saturation remanence exceeding 10%. We have found high ratios in almost all remagnetized sites, but in very few sites where the Late Paleozoic remanence is absent. The high ratios reflect the presence of a significant fraction of extremely fine‐grained magnetite (a few tens of nanometers), spanning the superparamagnetic‐single domain threshhold.