An examination of the magnetic properties of basalts from Argentina and Iceland and of dolerite from the Great Whin Sill

Summary The natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of basalts from Argentina and Iceland and dolerite from the Great Whin Sill exhibit reversed magnetization. In order to test whether this was due to a self-reversing property of the rocks, samples from these three suites have been examined byx-ray and thermomagnetic techniques. No correlation between the properties of rocks and the sense of the NRM was found. The thermal stability of the magnetic extracts from these rocks was related to their lattice parameters and Curie points.