ENVIRONMENTAL MAGNETISM - A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Environmental magnetism is a versatile methodology applicable to a wide range of environmental studies and contexts. The complexity and unfamiliarity of many natural magnetic assemblages, coupled with the very versatility and sensitivity of the measurements can often limit interpretations at present, and there is an urgent need to improve the theoretical and quantitative basis for interpreting the results derived from these newly accessible techniques. There is also a need to make the results both more objective and more readily communicable to specialists in related fields. Examples are shown which illustrate the range of applications of magnetic measurements, and suggestions given as to the ways in which, in the future, environmental magnetists may be able to overcome current problems.