A GEOMAGNETIC EVENT RECORDED IN LOESS DEPOSITS OF THE TONCHESBERG (GERMANY) - IDENTIFICATION OF THE BLAKE MAGNETIC POLARITY EPISODE

High-resolution palaeomagnetic studies on a collection of nearly 350 specimens, taken from a 1.30 m thick section of an Upper Pleistocene loess profile from the Tonchesberg (Germany), are described, The Blake magnetic polarity episode is recorded in a layer above the partly eroded palaeosol of the Eemian interglacial. It is identified by its stratigraphic position and thermoluminescence data (approximate to 90.0-110.0 kyr: Zoller, Conard & Hahn 1991; Frechen 1991, 1992). Magnetite and haematite contribute to the natural remanent magnetization (NRM). Directional behaviour during thermal and alternating-field cleaning suggests that magnetite carries a primary, (post-)depositional remanent magnetization (pDRM) and haematite a secondary, chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) of early diagenetic origin.