Low-temperature oxidation of magnetite in loess-paleosol sequences: A correction of rock magnetic parameters

Low-temperature oxidation under atmospheric conditions affects the magnetic properties of magnetite in natural rocks: the coercivities of magnetite grains increase and other parameters change accordingly. it was recently shown that heating to 150 degrees C largely removes the effects of low-temperature oxidation (van Velzen and Zijderveld, 1995). Heating may therefore serve as a detection tool for the presence of the effect of low-temperature oxidation. In the present study, a collection of loess and paleosol samples from various loess regions of the world is examined for the influence of low-temperature oxidation. In all samples of the collection a decrease of coercivities was found after. heating to 150 degrees C. Generally loess sampler were affected to a larger extent than paleosol samples. The original range of remanent coercivities (B-cr) of 21-58 mT changed to 20-42 mT after healing. The IRM capacity of the samples decreased from o up to 25% ARM showed changes between a decrease of 10% and an increase of ISA The grain-size indicative parameter IRM/ARM is considerably influenced by the hearing and therefore by low-temperature oxidation. The changes in susceptibility are limited and will not influence the interpretation of large-scale features of the susceptibility record as a paleoclimate prony. Small variations, how ever, may be obscured by the varying influence of oxidation in the outcrop, which can significantly modify the rock-magnetic record. Rock-magnetic parameters used to determine magnetic mineral content and grain sizes should be corrected for the effect of low-temperature oxidation. To this end heating to 150 degrees C is recommended. The occurrence of the changes is in itself already an indication for the presence of magnetite. Low-temperature oxidation will not only be due to recent weathering in the outcrop, but also to earlier oxidation processes in the source area, during transport and deposition of the loess and during pedogenesis. Truly fresh sediment samples are only influenced by this earlier. oxidation. In that case heating will reveal the degree of ancient low-temperature oxidation, which may be related to climate at the time of deposition and pedogenesis.