Авторы: Johnson C., Constable C., Tauxe L.

2008 г.

GGG

   We present a synthesis of 0–5 Ma paleomagnetic directional data collected from 17 different locations under the collaborative Time Averaged geomagnetic Field Initiative (TAFI). When combined with regional compilations from the NW USA, the SW USA, Japan, New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, S. Pacific and the Indian Ocean, a data set of over two thousand sites with high quality, stable polarity, declination and inclination measurements is obtained. This is a more than 7fold increase over similar quality data in the existing Paleosecular Variation of Recent Lavas (PSVRL) data set, and has greatly improved spatial sampling. The new data set spans 78S to 53N, and has sufficient temporal and spatial sampling to allow characterization of latitudinal variations in the timeaveraged field (TAF) and paleosecular variation (PSV) for the Brunhes and Matuyama chrons, and for the 0–5 Myr interval combined. The Brunhes and Matuyama chrons exhibit different TAF geometries, notably smaller departures from a geocentric axial dipole field during the Brunhes, consistent with higher dipole strength observed from paleointensity data. Geographical variations in PSV are also different for the Brunhes and Matuyama. Given the high quality of our data set, polarity asymmetries in PSV and the TAF cannot be attributed to viscous overprints, but suggest different underlying field behavior, perhaps related to the influence of longlived coremantle boundary conditions on core flow. PSV, as measured by dispersion of virtual geomagnetic poles, shows less latitudinal variation than predicted by current statistical PSV models, or by previous data sets. In particular the Brunhes data reported here are compatible with a wide range of models, from those that predict constant dispersion as a function of latitude to those that predict an increase in dispersion with latitude. Discriminating among such models could be helped by increased numbers of low latitude data and new high northern latitude sites. Tests with other data sets, and with simulations, indicate that some of the latitudinal signature previously observed in VGP dispersion can be attributed to the inclusion of low quality, insufficiently cleaned data with too few samples per site. Our Matuyama data show a stronger dependence of dispersion on latitude than the Brunhes data. The TAF is examined using the variation of inclination anomaly with latitude. Best fit 2parameter models have axial quadrupole contributions of 2% – 4% of the axial dipole term, and axial octupole contributions of 1% – 5%. Approximately 2% of the octupole signature is likely the result of bias incurred by averaging unit vectors.

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