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Date Permissions Signed

2-27-2018

Date of Award

Spring 1973

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geology

First Advisor

Easterbrook, Don J., 1935-

Second Advisor

Beck, Myrl E.

Third Advisor

Rahm, David A., 1931-

Abstract

Establishment of late Pleistocene geomagnetic polarity events would provide useful time indices for regional and interregional stratigraphic correlations. Development of a geomagnetic polarity scale tied to radiocarbon dating for the Puget Lowland helps to elucidate the possible occurrence of world-wide (dipole) reversed events during the last 50,000 years. Stability and reliability tests indicate that late Pleistocene sediments exposed in the Puget Lowland record valid paleomagnetic directions. Puget Lowland geomagnetic polarity for the interval 11,000 years to 30,000 years BP was normal except for a short reversed period between 20,000 years and 15,000 years BP. In addition to sampling errors and magnetic remanence directional errors, variations in paleomagnetic directions over short time periods may be due to secular variation. The brief period of reversed polarity could have been due to the non-dipole field rather than the dipole field. Interregional comparison of available geomagnetic polarity results for the last 50,000 years does not establish the occurrence of a dipole reversed event. Recorded reversed paleomagnetic directions during the last 50,000 years may represent localized geomagnetic excursions. Resolution of the details of geomagnetic behavior could result in the development of regional geomagnetic time scales for the late Quaternary.

Type

Text

Keywords

Late Pleistocene sediments, Geomagnetic polarity, Puget Lowland

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25710/ycg2-1j64

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1033692168

Subject – LCSH

Paleomagnetism--Washington (State)--Puget Lowland; Geology, Stratigraphic--Pleistocene

Geographic Coverage

Puget Lowland (Wash.)

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

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