STUDY OF SELF-REVERSAL OF TRM IN SOME SUBMARINE BASALTS

Three of eight submarine basalts from various localities of the Pacific show self-reversal of TRM when they are heated in air at about 300°C and cooled to room temperature in the geomagnetic field. As the sample is heated to 300°C, the original ferrimagnetic component with a Curie temperature of 250°C is gradually transformed to another component with a Curie temperature of 300°C and there exist momentarily two magnetic components. Magnetic interaction between these two components seems to be responsible for selfreversal. The fact that TRM produced in an external field of 2600 Oe reverses at low temperatures indicates that the self-reversal phenomenon is caused by an exchange interaction. © 1968, Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. All rights reserved.