Magnetic petrology of eastern North America diabases, I. Olivine-normative dikes from western South Carolina

The oxide mineralogy and magnetic properties were examined in a suite of fifteen olivine-normative diabase dike samples from western South Carolina in an attempt to elucidate their magnetic petrology. Titanomagnetite (1–2 vol.%) is the dominant Fe-Ti oxide mineral. Ilmenite and secondary magnetite are generally present in very minor amounts. Chromite constitutes up to 0.5 vol.%; its abundance and composition correlate with bulk rock Cr. Various types of fine-scale microstructure are evident in titanomagnetite crystals. The most important are patterned anisotropism and the development of trellis-type ilmenite lamellae. Microprobe analyses indicate: (1) titanomagnetite compositions, x, are mostly between 0.4 and 0.55, and (2) low analytical totals are characteristic of most titanomagnetites. Curie temperatures of the diabases are 500–540°C, which are several hundred degrees higher than predicted from the observed titanomagnetite x's (150–300°C). We attribute these higher Curie temperatures to oxidation of the titanomagnetites, which has produced “titanomaghemites” having visible microstructure and yielding low analyses (because they are cation deficient). Natural remanence magnetization and REM (ratio of natural remanence to saturation remanence) vary between 4 and 100 × 10⁻⁴ A m² kg⁻¹ and 0.0019 and 0.032, respectively. These properties inversely correlate with Cr content and demonstrably contrast Cr-rich and Cr-poor samples. Initial susceptibility, saturation magnetization and coercivity values show a two- to three-fold range. Variations in initial susceptibility and coercivities appear to be largely related to the type and extent of oxidation-induced microstructure in the titanomagnetites.