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Abstract Speleothems are mineral deposits capable of recording detrital and/or chemical remanent magnetization at annual timescales. They can offer high‐resolution paleomagnetic records of short‐term variations in Earth's magnetic field, crucial for understanding the evolution of the dynamo. Owing to limitations on the magnetic moment sensitivity of commercial cryogenic rock magnetometers (∼10−11 Am2), paleomagnetic studies of speleothems have been limited to samples with volumes of several hundreds of mm3, averaging tens to hundreds of years of magnetic variation. Nonetheless, smaller samples (∼1–10 mm3) can be measured using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy, with a sensitivity better than ∼10−15 Am2. To determine the application of SQUID microscopy for obtaining robust high‐resolution records from small‐volume speleothem samples, we analyzed three different stalagmites collected from Lapa dos Morcegos Cave (Portugal), Pau d'Alho Cave (Brazil), and Crevice Cave (United States). These stalagmites are representative of a range of magnetic properties and have been previously studied with conventional rock magnetometers. We show that by using SQUID microscopy we can achieve a five‐fold improvement in temporal resolution for samples with higher abundances of magnetic carriers (e.g., Pau d'Alho Cave and Lapa dos Morcegos Cave). In contrast, speleothems with low abundances of magnetic carriers (e.g., Crevice Cave) do not benefit from higher resolution analysis and are best analyzed using conventional rock magnetometers. Overall, by targeting speleothem samples with high concentrations of magnetic carriers we can increase the temporal resolution of magnetic records, setting the stage for resolving geomagnetic variations at short time scales.
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Magnetic Mineralogy of Speleothems From Tropical-Subtropical Sites of South America
Fe-bearing minerals are a tiny fraction of the composition of speleothems. They have their origin in the karst system or are transported from the drainage basin into the cave. Recent studies on the magnetism of speleothems focused on the variations of their magnetic mineralogy in specific time intervals and are usually limited to a single sample. In this study, we describe a database of environmental magnetism parameters built from 22 stalagmites from different caves located in Brazil (South America) at different latitudes, comprising different climates and biomes. The magnetic signal observed in these stalagmites is dominated by low-coercivity minerals (∼20 mT) whose magnetic properties resemble those of the magnetite formed in pedogenic environments. Also, a comparison with few samples from soils and the carbonate from cave’s walls shows a good agreement of the magnetic properties of speleothems with those of soil samples, reinforcing previous suggestions that in (sub-)tropical regimes, the dominant magnetic phase in speleothems is associated with the soil above the cave. Spearman’s rank correlation points to a positive strong correlation between magnetic concentration parameters (mass-normalized magnetic susceptibility, natural remanent magnetization, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, and isothermal remanent magnetization). This implies that ultrafine ferrimagnetic minerals are the dominant phase in these (sub-)tropical karst systems, which extend across a diverse range of biomes. Although the samples are concentrated in the savannah biome (Cerrado) (∼70%), comparison with other biomes shows a higher concentration of magnetic minerals in speleothem underlying savannahs and lower concentration in those underlying moist broadleaf forests (Atlantic and Amazon biome) and dry forests (Caatinga). Thus, rainfall, biome, and epikarst dynamics play an important role in the concentration of magnetic minerals in speleothems in (sub-)tropical sites and indicate they can be an important target for paleoenvironmental research in cave systems.
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- PAR ID:
- 10318850
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Earth Science
- Volume:
- 9
- ISSN:
- 2296-6463
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.634482
