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  1. Abstract

    The study of sedimentary magnetism in the intermontane Tarom Basin (northern Iran) offers insights into local paleoenvironmental conditions during global middle‐late Miocene climate changes and the topographic growth triggered by the Arabia‐Eurasia continental collision. Rock magnetic results reveal that the ∼16.2 to ∼10–9 Ma coarse‐grained deposits at the basin's southern margin present a homogenous magnetic mineral assemblage, reflecting sediment provenance. Conversely, the ∼13.2 to ∼7.6 Ma, fine‐grained deposits in the basin's depocenter include alternating playa‐lake and lacustrine deposits, recording dry, evaporative conditions, leading to hematite formation in a low‐temperature oxidizing environment, and wetter conditions that preserve the original detrital signal, respectively. Time series analyses show cyclicity in different period bands for magnetic susceptibility, but precession and obliquity cycles can hardly be resolved in the record. Comparison with deep‐sea oxygen isotope data suggests that from ∼13.2 to ∼10.8 Ma environmental conditions likely mirrored global climatic forcing, with lacustrine and playa‐lake deposits associated with increased and decreased global temperature, respectively. At ∼10.8 Ma, the basin likely recorded the Tortonian Thermal Maximum with the establishment of a lacustrine system. From ∼10.4 Ma, the magnetic susceptibility signal departed from the global climate record, possibly due to basin margin (western Alborz and Tarom mountains) and regional (Anatolian‐Iranian plateau) topographic growth, accompanied by increased precipitation seasonality, focused rainfall and augmented erosion rates. Finally, we suggest that before ∼10.8 Ma, the Hadley cells expanded northward, leading to a trade‐dominated system with moist air masses sourced from the Caspian, while from ∼10.8 Ma, westerlies dominance progressively prevailed.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available January 22, 2026
  2. Abstract

    High‐temperature Raman spectroscopy offers a cost‐effective alternative to extensive infrastructure and sensitive instrumentation for investigating nanolite crystallization in undercooled volcanic melts, a key area of interest in volcanology. This study examined nanolite formation in anhydrous andesite melts in situ at high temperatures, identifying distinct Raman peaks at 310 and 670 cm−1appearing above the glass transition temperature. The initial amorphous glass remained stable up to 655°C, beyond which Fe‐Ti‐oxide nanolites progressively formed at higher temperatures, as also confirmed by complementary XRD analysis. The evolution of the 310 cm−1peak depends only on the magnitude of nanolite crystallization, while the intensity of the 670 cm−1peak is temperature‐dependent and challenging to observe above 500°C. Complementary low‐temperature rock‐magnetic analyses confirmed Fe‐Ti‐oxide nanocrystallization with nanolites around 20 nm in diameter. The study tested lasers of different wavelengths (from 355 to 514 nm) and found the green laser to be the most effective for collecting spectra at both room and high temperature. However, above 720°C, black body radiation significantly hinders Raman observation with the green laser when using a non‐confocal setup and analyzing poorly transparent samples. If higher temperature measurements are desired, switching to a confocal setup and using lower wavelength lasers should be considered. This research offers a protocol for studying nanolite formation and melt dynamics at high temperatures, providing a foundation for future studies of volcanic processes.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available January 14, 2026
  3. Abstract

    Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) as light‐absorbing particles (LAPs) deposited to snow cover can result in early onset and rapid snow melting, challenging management of downstream water resources. We identified LAPs in 38 snow samples (water years 2013–2016) from the mountainous Upper Colorado River basin by comparing among laboratory‐measured spectral reflectance, chemical, physical, and magnetic properties. Dust sample reflectance, averaged over the wavelength range of 0.35–2.50 μm, varied by a factor of 1.9 (range, 0.2300–0.4444) and was suppressed mainly by three components: (a) carbonaceous matter measured as total organic carbon (1.6–22.5 wt. %) including inferred black carbon, natural organic matter, and carbon‐based synthetic, black road‐tire‐wear particles, (b) dark rock and mineral particles, indicated by amounts of magnetite (0.11–0.37 wt. %) as their proxy, and (c) ferric oxide minerals identified by reflectance spectroscopy and magnetic properties. Fundamental compositional differences were associated with different iron oxide groups defined by dominant hematite, goethite, or magnetite. These differences in iron oxide mineralogy are attributed to temporally varying source‐area contributions implying strong interannual changes in regional source behavior, dust‐storm frequency, and (or) transport tracks. Observations of dust‐storm activity in the western U.S. and particle‐size averages for all samples (median, 25 μm) indicated that regional dust from deserts dominated mineral‐dust masses. Fugitive contaminants, nevertheless, contributed important amounts of LAPs from many types of anthropogenic sources.

     
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  4. Abstract

    The scientific publishing landscape is evolving rapidly. This evolution is driven by a confluence of internal and external forces, including the growth of metrics‐based evaluation of scientists; an increasing volume of manuscripts combined with expectations for rapid review and publication; an increasing number of journals, includingfor‐profitOpen Access publications; and the adoption of preprint servers across a growing range of disciplines. Many of these forces are contributing to personal anxiety and fatigue for authors, reviewers, and editors. Collectively, they are placing substantial stress on scientific publishing, which is a foundational pillar of the scientific enterprise. As editors of American Geophysical Union journals and books, we remain confident in the fundamental foundations of scientific publishing, but we are concerned about the impact of these increasing stressors. By affirming and investing in editorial values, respecting scientific integrity and credibility, and committing to accessibility, transparency, and accountability, we can fortify the foundations of the scientific enterprise during a time of rapid change.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available August 1, 2025
  5. 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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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available October 1, 2025
  6. Abstract

    Some rock and soil samples exhibit significant loss of magnetic susceptibility (χ) with increasing applied field amplitude even at relatively low (10–100s of A/m) fields, a behavior which remains unexplained. Exceptionally strong negative field‐dependence of susceptibility (χHD) is present in sandstones and altered intermediate‐felsic igneous rocks in several cores from the northeastern Oklahoma subsurface. These same rocks also show elevated frequency‐dependence of susceptibility (χFD), with reasonable correlation ofχHDtoχFD, and frequency‐dependentχHD. Results from multiple characterization methods indicate that strongly negativeχHDin these rocks is linked to a yet‐unidentified phase which begins the approach to magnetic saturation in low fields (<1 mT/800 A/m), shows elevatedχFDto low temperatures, is unstable at high temperatures, possesses significant anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, and becomes paramagnetic above ∼83°C. Clear associations with fluid alteration features indicate that this material may be highly relevant to rock alteration, diagenetic, and environmental studies.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available August 1, 2025
  7. Abstract

    Ferromanganese concretions commonly occur in shallow‐water coastal regions worldwide. In the Baltic Sea, they can record information about past and present underwater environments and could be a potential source for critical raw materials. We report on their microstructural characteristics and magnetic properties and link them to their formation mechanisms and environmental significance. Microstructural investigations from nano‐ and micro‐computed tomography, electron microscopy, and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence elemental mapping reveal diverse growth patterns within concretions of different morphologies. Alternating Fe‐ and Mn‐rich growth bands indicate fluctuating redox conditions during formation. Bullet‐shaped magnetofossils, produced by magnetotactic bacteria, are present, which suggests the influence of bacterial activity on concretion formation. Spheroidal concretions, which occur in deeper and more tranquil environments, have enhanced microbial biomineralization and magnetofossil preservation. Conversely, crusts and discoidal concretions from shallower and more energetic environments contain fewer magnetofossils and have a greater detrital content. Our results provide insights into concretion formation mechanisms and highlight the importance of diagenetic processes, oxygen availability, and bacterial activity in the Baltic Sea.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available May 1, 2025
  8. SUMMARY

    Accurate absolute palaeointensity is essential for understanding dynamo processes on the Earth and other planetary bodies. Although great efforts have been made to propose techniques to obtain magnetic field strength from rock samples, such as Thellier-series methods, the amount of high-fidelity palaeointensities remains limited. One primary reason for this is the thermal alteration of samples that pervasively occurred during palaeointensity experiments. In this study, we developed a comprehensive rock magnetic experiment, termed thermal rock magnetic cycling (TRMC), that can utilize measurements of critical rock magnetic properties at elevated temperatures during multiple heating-cooling cycles to track thermal changes in bulk samples and individual magnetic components with different Curie temperatures in samples for palaeointensity interpretations. We demonstrate this method on a Galapagos lava sample, GA 84.6. The results for this specimen revealed that GA 84.6v underwent thermophysical alteration throughout the TRMC experiment, resulting in changes in its remanence carrying capacity. These findings were then used to interpret the palaeointensity results of specimen GA 84.6c, which revealed that the two-slope Arai plot yielded two linear segments with distinct palaeointensity values that were both biased by thermophysical alteration. To further test the TRMC method, we selected another historical lava sample (HS 2) from Mt Lassen, detecting slight thermal-physical changes after heating the specimen HS 2–8C to a target temperature of 400 °C. We also isolated a stable magnetic component with a Curie temperature below 400 °C using the TRMC method, which may provide a more reliable palaeointensity estimate of 51 μT. By providing a method for tracking thermal alteration independent of palaeointensity experiments, the TRMC method can explore subtle, unrecognizable thermal alteration processes in less detailed palaeointensity measurements, which can help to assess the thermal stability of the measured samples and interpret the changes in the TRM unblocking spectrum and palaeointensity estimates, facilitating the acquisition of more reliable records for constrain the formation of the inner core and the evolution of Earth's magnetic field.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available August 6, 2025
  9. Plain Language Summary

    Nearly synchronous global changes in geomagnetic polarity give both a detailed irregular pacing to geological time and provide a glimpse into heat transfer processes across the core—mantle boundary which drives the Earth's geodynamo. Although the Late Carboniferous is characterized by some well‐studied reversals, details of the tempo of polarity changes in the Early Carboniferous are unknown. This work addresses this by providing a detailed record of polarity changes over a ∼2 million year interval at around 334.5–332.5 million years ago‐from the Trowbarrow Quarry section in NW England. We demonstrate that these limestones likely preserve magnetization from close to their time of formation and record at least 31 polarity reversals. These observations support the idea that the Earth's dynamo was in a hyperactive reversing state similar to those sustained for tens of Myr in the Late Jurassic, parts of the Cambrian and the Late Ediacaran. It further corroborates a ∼200 Myr cyclicity in paleomagnetic field behavior since the Precambrian, potentially linked to variable core heat flow forced by mantle convection.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 1, 2025
  10. Abstract

    The Moon generated a long‐lived core dynamo magnetic field, with intensities at least episodically reaching ∼10–100 μT during the period prior to ∼3.56 Ga. While magnetic anomalies observed within impact basins are likely attributable to the presence of impactor‐added metal, other anomalies such as those associated with lunar swirls are not as conclusively linked to exogenic materials. This has led to the hypothesis that some anomalies may be related to magmatic features such as dikes, sills, and laccoliths. However, basalts returned from the Apollo missions are magnetized too weakly to produce the required magnetization intensities (>0.5 A/m). Here, we test the hypothesis that subsolidus reduction of ilmenite within or adjacent to slowly cooled mafic intrusive bodies could locally enhance metallic FeNi contents within the lunar crust. We find that reduction within hypabyssal dikes with high‐Ti or low‐Ti mare basalt compositions can produce sufficient FeNi grains to carry the minimum >0.5 A/m magnetization intensity inferred for swirls, especially if ambient fields are >10 μT or if fine‐grained Fe‐Ni metals in the pseudo‐single domain grain size range are formed. Therefore, there exists a possibility that certain magnetic anomalies exhibiting various shapes such as linear, swarms, and elliptical patterns may be magmatic in origin. Our study highlights that the domain state of the magnetic carriers is an under‐appreciated factor in controlling a rock's magnetization intensity. The results of this study will help guide interpretations of lunar crustal field data acquired by future rovers that will traverse lunar magnetic anomalies.

     
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available May 1, 2025