Low intensity of the geomagnetic field in Early Jurassic time

Abstract

From a large collection of Jurassic continental tholeiites cropping out in Europe and Africa, we selected 90 samples for paleointensity determinations. The samples were carefully selected to avoid any secondary magnetizations, especially viscous magnetization. Use of the Thellier method reveals that magnetic property changes due to heating begin often at quite low temperatures but fortunately without modifying noticeably their natural remanent magnetization‐thermoremanent magnetization ratio. Twenty‐eight well‐clustered paleointensity estimates were obtained from two European dikes that were emplaced during Early Jurassic time: the Kerforne dike at Brenterc'h in Brittany (northwestern France) and the Messejana dike on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Virtual dipole moments calculated from both magmatic units are similar and only about one‐third of present‐day values. These new data lend support to the recently postulated low dipole moment of the Mesozoic geomagnetic field.