A comparison of ARM and TRM in magnetite

Experiments comparing anhysteretic remanence (ARM) and thermoremanence (TRM) in samples containing natural and synthetic magnetite, whose mean particle sizes range from single domain to multidomain, show that ARM and TRM are very similar (but not identical) in their stabilities with respect to alternating field (AF) demagnetization, temperature cycles in zero field to below magnetite's isotropic temperature near 130°K, and stability with respect to spontaneous decay in zero field. Therefore, for magnetites, ARM can be used to model (with reasonable success) these stability properties of TRM. The field dependence of the acquisition of ARM and TRM shows that the low field susceptibility ratio, χ_ARM/χ_TRM, has a particle size dependence, increasing from 0.1 for certain submicron particles to 2.0 for large multidomain crystals. Even for samples whose remanence is predominantly carried by submicron particles χ_ARM/χ_TRM is highly variable, 0.11 ≤ χ_ARM/χ_TRM ≤ 0.50. Therefore, ARM paleointensity methods which do not take into account the large variability in and the particle size dependence of χ_ARM/χ_TRM are subject to order-of-magnitude uncertainties.     

福建三明地区被污染土壤的磁学性质及其环境意义

对福建三明某钢铁厂和火电厂附近的污染表土样品进行了多参数的岩石磁学测试分析,包括χ T曲线、磁滞回线、等温剩磁获得曲线等. 三明地区污染表土中的磁性矿物有磁铁矿、赤铁矿和磁黄铁矿. 样品中磁性矿物的平均粒度较粗,为较大的准单畴,甚至多畴,粒度明显大于成土作用所产生的磁性颗粒. 粗粒的磁铁矿颗粒是污染物的主要磁性组分. 虽然磁化率测量可以作为一种简单、快速而且廉价的检测污染土壤的方法,但同时辅以必要的岩石磁学测量将有利于提取更多的污染信息. 对于低磁化率的污染土壤,亚铁磁性硫化物的存在可以作为土壤可能被污染的证据之一.     

Magnetic properties and heavy metal pollution of soils in the vicinity of a cement plant,Xuzhou (China)

This study characterized the magnetic property and levels of heavy metals of the topsoils near a cement plant. The concentrations of five selected heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd) were measured on 32 topsoil samples (0–20 cm) collected near a cement plant via inductively coupled plasma/mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The orders of enrichment factors (EF), on average, were Cd (7.3) > Cu (3) > Zn (2.9) > Pb (2.1), respectively. A self-organizing map (SOM) was applied to the concentrations of heavy metals for “correlation hunting”. Mineral magnetic concentration parameters, such as the specific magnetic susceptibility (χ), susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ_ARM), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), together with interparametric ratios (such as IRM_− 100mT/SIRM, SIRM/χ, χ_ARM/SIRM) show that ferrimagnetic, superparamagnetic (SP) and multi-domain (MD) minerals dominated the soils. The results of correlation analysis indicate that copper showed a significant correlation with χ, χ_ARM and SIRM but such a relationship with χ, χ_ARM and SIRM was only weakly identified for Zn, Cd and Pb.     

Magnetic properties of ultrahigh-pressure eclogites controlled by retrograde metamorphism: A case study from the ZK703 drillhole in Donghai,eastern China

Parallel studies on rock magnetic properties, petrology and mineralogy were conducted on 16 eclogite samples from the ZK703 hole and magnetic susceptibilities and densities of 41 eclogite samples with different degree of retrograde metamorphism (from fresh eclogite to fully-retrograded eclogite) from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) near the ZK703 hole, located at Donghai, southern Sulu ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt, eastern China. Results show: (1) that the high-field slopes obtained from the hysteresis loops (the paramagnetic fraction χ_para) and density have a positive correlation with the volume concentration of garnet + omphacite, a typical mineral assemblage used to semi-quantify the degree of retrograde metamorphism. The low-field slopes obtained from hysteresis loops (the ferrimagnetic susceptibility fraction χ_ferri), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization M_rs and saturation magnetization M_s have a positive correlation with the volume concentration of symplectite, a mineral related to retrograded metamorphism. Therefore they could be potential indicators for quickly semi-quantifying the degree of retrograde metamorphism of the eclogite units. (2) The dominant magnetic carriers in retrograded eclogites are magnetite particles in pseudo-single domain grain size region. (3) The P–T conditions during the retrograde (decompressional) process could first increase the concentration of magnetite, which can reach up to 3% for extensively retrograded eclogite and then was dissolved for fully-retrograded eclogite. Therefore, change in the magnetite contents during the retrograde process is the major factor controlling the magnetism of retrograde eclogites.     

Rock-magnetic properties of Neogene sediments, northern flank of Tianshan Mountains

Analyses of rock-magnetic properties of Neogene sediments of the Taxihe section, northern Tianshan Mountains, show that the section can be classified into three categories including lacustrine facies, fluvial facies and alluvial facies, which correspond to the lower, middle and upper of the Taxihe section respectively. The magnetic minerals of the lacustrine facies may be affected by the process of weath- ering, lithogenesis and biolithogenesis besides the source of the sediments. The natural remanence intensities are between 10-3 A/m and 10-2 A/m. The minerals are dominated by magnetite and the high coercive magnetic mineral may be goethite. The magnetic grains are the mixture of PSD SD or SD SP. The natural remanence intensities of the strata of fluvial facies are between 10-2 A/m and 10-1 A/m, about ten times that of the lacustrine facies. The magnetic minerals are mainly magnetite and hematite, and the magnetic grains are mainly PSD. The characteristic remanence (ChRM) carriers are magnetites. In the alluvial facies, the natural remanence intensities are mostly less than 1×10-2 A/m. The magnetic minerals of the series are dominated by magnetite and hematite, almost the same as the fluvial facies. But the difference is that most of the stepwise demagnetization can reveal two components and the ChRM carriers are hematites. The magnetic grains are PSD in terms of the hysteresis parameters.     

Determination of domain structure in igneous rocks by alternating field and other methods

AF (alternating field) demagnetization, ARM (anhysteretic remanent magnetization) and strong-field hysteresis properties of a large collection of mostly continental igneous rocks are reported here. The collection included rocks whose magnetic carriers were believed from previous work to be of one of three types: MD (multidomain); SD/PSD (single-domain/pseudo-single-domain); or a bimodal mixture of MD grains (e.g., discrete opaques) and SD/PSD material (e.g., silicate inclusions). Two series of subaerial basalts with a full range of deuteric oxidation classes included examples of all three classes of behaviour. SD/PSD rocks have relatively hard inflected AF decay curves (decay rate initially increasing, then decreasing), MD rocks have soft, exponential-like decay curves, and bimodal rocks have a combination of these characteristics. Relative hardnesses of normalized decay curves of remanences acquired in weak, intermediate and strong fields (the Lowrie-Fuller test) are also distinctively different for the three classes, and the results support the theory developed in an accompanying paper [1] that Lowrie-Fuller characteristics are an expression of the shapes of decay curves. The Lowrie-Fuller test, although its result can be expressed as a numerical parameter, is not capable of fine-scale classification of domain structure or grain size. The shape of the ARM induction curve does have a quasi-continuous variation with grain size, however. The parameter χ_ar/J_rs (initial anhysteretic susceptibility normalized to saturation remanence), which is easily measured with standard paleomagnetic instrumentation, is potentially useful for magnetic granulometry, although χ_ar itself was not diagnostic of grain size.     

Contribution of rock magnetism to stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the Karaïn cave infill,Antalya, Turkey

The magnetic properties of the infill of the Karaïn cave in Turkey were compared to the results of a sedimentological study on three longitudinal sections. The sediments of this site, namely cavity E, cover a period of ca. 500 ka and correspond to a large part of the Middle and Upper Pleistocene. The evolution observed for the various magnetic parameters is mainly related to climatic changes which followed one another during the infilling history of the cave. Two preconditions are necessary to understand the environmental magnetism, namely both the identification and the quantification of different magnetic phases (components) in the sediments, expressed by the ratio of the various magnetic parameters and the analysis of the magnetization curves. The results obtained through the study of the different magnetic parameters (low-field initial bulk (κ_lf) and mass (χ_lf) magnetic susceptibility, frequency dependence of the magnetic susceptibility (χ_fd), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), hysteresis parameters, anhysteretic susceptibility, ...) on 171 samples allowed us: 1 — to follow the nature, size and source of the grains at each level, and 2 — to identify six alternating levels, having different magnetic susceptibility signatures during warm, damp periods, in which the contribution of prehistorical hominidae (Homo Sapiens or Homo Neandertalensis) and animals, could have modified the original sedimentary structures.This study, in agreement with the sedimentological results, suggests a significant difference between sandy or sandy-silty levels (3 and 5) and those rich in clays and concretions. The sandy or sandy-silty levels are mainly characterized by a low amount of antiferromagnetic type grains, likely goethite and hematite, dominated by single-domain size (SD) and a small content of ferrimagnetic type grains, likely magnetite of multidomain size (MD), inherited from the host rock. Antiferromagnetic grains did not develop and were a priori drifted by the wind. They could be contemporaneous with a cold climate.The clays and clayey-silty levels are characterized by a large amount of superparamagnetic (SP) and SD grains, and a high content of low coercivity magnetic grains (magnetite, maghemite and Ti-magnetite). The saturation remanent magnetization (SIRM) of clayey levels is 5 to 10 times higher than that of sandy levels. The clayey levels are contemporaneous with a humid climate, which favoured the formation of secondary iron oxides, of stalagmitic floors and calcite concretions and of the emplacement of local pedogenesis phenomena, mainly at the top of the infill, i.e. in Level 6.     

The origin of thermoremanent magnetization: Contribution of pseudo-single-domain magnetic moments

The pseudo-single-domain (PSD) intensity and stability of thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) in multidomain magnetite grains 0.05–15 μm in size are attributed to residual magnetic moments not removed by demagnetization. Barkhausen discreteness in domain wall positions is a possible source of such moments, but the observed grain size and applied field dependences of TRM in the lower PSD range are more convincingly explained by a new theory (F.D. Stacey and S.K. Banerjee, 1974) in which the moments of domain walls and the surface terminations of domain walls play a central role. The magnitudes of PSD moments and the average number of moments per grain required by this theory are deduced from low-field (0–25 Oe) TRM measurements on magnetite grains of controlled sizes between 0.04 and 0.22 μm. The predicted maximum PSD moment is about equal to the saturation moment in grains ≤ 0.1 μm in size but is only 10% of the saturation moment in 0.22-μm grains. Since blocking temperature and hysteresis data independently suggest two-domain structure in 0.22-μm grains and wall-like domain structure in smaller grains, the predicted PSD moments are quantitatively reasonable.     

Domain structure of small synthetic titanomagnetite particles and experiments with IRM and TRM

Stoichiometric titanomagnetites Fe_3?xTi_xO₄ with compositions between x = 0 (magnetite) and x = 0.72 (a titanomagnetite having a Curie temperature of 60°C) have been synthesised using the double-sintering technique in controlled atmospheres. The quality of these materials was tested by various mineralogical and magnetic measurements. Isolated small multidomain (MD) and pseudo-single-domain (PSD) particles within pores of the bulk material were investigated with respect to their domain structures, and threshold sizes for the transition from the PSD to the SD stage determined for titanomagnetites of various compositions by extrapolation from the domain state of small MD grains. The threshold size was found to be 0.7 and 0.5 μm, respectively, for TM72 (x = 0.72) and TM62 (x = 0.62). The threshold size decreases slightly for smaller x values; however, the experimental data obtained to date are not sufficiently reliable to yield precise results.Preliminary experiments concerning hysteresis loops and TRM generation are also reported.     

Gradual late stage deepening of Gega ice-dammed lake,Tsangpo gorge,southeastern Tibet,indicated by preliminary sedimentary rock magnetic properties

Gega lake, in southeastern Tibet, was formed by the blocking of Yarlung Tsangpo gorge by a glacier and is a well-known example of geomorphological damming. However, the evolution of the damming process at the site is still not understood in detail. Here, we use measurements of multiple magnetic parameters of the sediments from the Yusong (YS) 3 section, which is well-dated by optically stimulated luminescence, to provide a detailed history of the late stage of Gega dammed lake since 17.0 ka. Low-frequency field magnetic susceptibility (χ_lf) increases upwards gradually from 25 to 79?×?10^?8 m³/kg above 5.5 m, but other magnetic properties, such as frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χ_fd % and χ_fd), susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ_ARM), and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) did not show a similar degree of enhancement. The magnetic grain size indicators of χ_ARM/χ_lf, χ_ARM/SIRM, and χ_lf/SIRM all indicate a trend of increasing magnetic grain size from the 5.5 m to the top of section; however, the bulk sediment grain size decreases gradually within the same interval. The total organic carbon is very low (0.2–0.7%), and thus, it is unlikely that the sedimentary environment is sufficiently strongly reducing to lead to the dissolution of magnetic minerals. Therefore, we infer that the coarsening-upwards of the magnetic grain size, and the increasing magnetic susceptibility from 5.5 m, reflect the gradual preferential preservation of magnetic minerals, caused by the deepening of the lake. Thus, we interpret the magnetic record of the section as reflecting the gradual deepening of the late stage of Gega ice-dammed lake. Last, the abrupt disappearance of the lake may have resulted in an outburst flood.     

Comparative study on magnetic minerals of tidal flat deposits from different sediment sources in Jiangsu coast,Eastern China

Understanding the sources of sediments deposited in tidal flats is critical for reconstructing the evolution of coastal regions impacted by large rivers. Environmental magnetism can be an effective tool to track sediment sources and analyze the sediment properties. We evaluate several magnetic parameters from the tidal flat sediments along the Jiangsu coast. The results show that the sediments of Liandao Island have the lowest values of magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and saturation isothermal remanence magnetization (SIRM). In addition to these, the values of χ, ARM and SIRM display a generally increasing trend from the north to the south along the Jiangsu coast. The strong relations between χ, ARM and SIRM show that the changes of magnetization of the tidal flat sediments mainly reflect the changes of concentration rather than those in grain sizes of magnetic particles. The main magnetic phase is magnetite, with a small amount of hematite. The strong relationship between χ and the 2-16 μm grain-size fraction suggests that magnetite is enriched in the finer silt fraction. The sediment sources is the main factor that influences the magnetic properties of the tidal flat sediments from the Jiangsu coast. Combined with the previous studies, the results indicate that the tidal flat sediments of Liandao Island were mainly derived from the nearshore rock weathering. The Yellow River is the dominant supplier for the north of Dafeng, while the Yangtze River is the dominant supplier for the south of Rudong. The coast between Dafeng and Rudong is a transition zone influenced by both rivers. This study provides a basis against which possible future variations in sediment composition resulting from catchment changes can be assessed.     

西安市道路灰尘磁学特征及其对环境的响应

西安市道路表面灰尘样品的环境磁学研究显示磁化率(χ)、非磁滞磁化率（χ_ARM）以及饱和等温剩磁（SIRM）均比较高,表明样品中磁性矿物含量较高.其中磁化率（χ）主要受人类活动强度影响,而非磁滞磁化率（χ_ARM）及饱和等温剩磁（SIRM）则由人为活动强度和磁性矿物种类共同决定.κ-T曲线以及等温剩磁（IRM）获得曲线显示样品中磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿等亚铁磁性矿物占主导,并可能含有少量的单质铁,其相对含量与人类活动种类有关：与单纯的交通排放及冶金活动相比,密集的人群流动可带来更多的单质铁矿物.磁畴图谱显示磁性矿物粒径变化不大,以准单畴及多畴颗粒等粗颗粒为主,明显大于成土作用形成的磁性颗粒.综合磁性矿物含量种类以及粒径可辨别污染及污染来源,提供污染监测的磁学手段,并初步进行污染来源划分.     

Rock magnetic properties and ore microscopy of the iron ore deposit of Las Truchas, Michoacan, Mexico

Iron ore and host rocks have been sampled (90 oriented samples from 19 sites) from the Las Truchas mine, western Mexico. A broad range of magnetic parameters have been studied to characterize the samples: saturation magnetization, Curie temperature, density, susceptibility, remanence intensity, Koenigsberger ratio, and hysteresis parameters. Magnetic properties are controlled by variations in titanomagnetite content, deuteric oxidation, and hydrothermal alteration. Las Truchas deposit formed by contact metasomatism in a Mesozoic volcano-sedimentary sequence intruded by a batholith, and titanomagnetites underwent intermediate degrees of deuteric oxidation. Post-mineralization hydrothermal alteration, evidenced by pyrite, epidote, sericite, and kaolin, seems to be the major event that affected the minerals and magnetic properties. Magnetite grain sizes in iron ores range from 5 to >200 μm, which suggest dominance of multidomain (MD) states. Curie temperatures are 580±5°C, characteristic of magnetite. Hysteresis parameters indicate that most samples have MD magnetite, some samples pseudo-single domain (PSD), and just a few single domain (SD) particles. AF demagnetization and IRM acquisition indicate that NRM and laboratory remanences are carried by MD magnetite in iron ores and PSD–SD magnetite in host rocks. The Koenigsberger ratio falls in a narrow range between 0.1 and 10, indicating the significance of MD and PSD magnetites.     

Magnetic mineralogy and grain-size dependence of hysteresis parameters of single spherules from industrial waste products

The use of magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for the relative degree of industrial pollution of soils and sediments is only qualitative and complications arise when unmixing the contributions from different sources. Detailed characterization of anthropogenic magnetic phases is needed in order to discriminate the input from different sources. The present study investigates magnetic fractions from fly ashes from different thermoelectric power plants and lagooned ash from metal works in Bulgaria, to further our knowledge of potential sources. Thermomagnetic analysis of saturation magnetization (M_s) and magnetic susceptibility (K) revealed a low-substituted magnetite-like phase in power-plant fly ashes and magnetite/maghemite phases in lagooned ash. Magnetic hysteresis measurements on single spherules from the wastes are combined with subsequent SEM/EDX examination of the same grains, allowing for the grain size dependence of the hysteresis parameters to be directly obtained for the studied anthropogenic phases. The results suggest that the structure-sensitive magnetic parameters for the lagooned ash show stronger size dependence compared to the published data for synthetic crushed magnetites, which is due to the complex internal structure and stress level in the anthropogenic phases formed under fast cooling conditions. Moreover, the Day plot for the studied single grains shows the presence of different correlation lines for fly ashes and the lagooned ash, i.e. it discriminates between the sources.     

Paleomagnetic record in the Late Pleistocene loess-soil deposits of the Pekla section in the time interval 425–50 Ka

The composition, granulometry data, and concentration of grains that carry the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) are studied in the bottom 6.5 meters of the loess-soil deposits of the Pekla section (Azov coast, Krasnodar region). It was shown that these strata, which correspond to the 9th–11th marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) and cover the time interval ∼425–300 ka, are suitable for further paleomagnetic investigation. The deposits in the upper portion of the Inzhavino paleosoils (Likhvin Interstadial) contain the records of anomalous deviations of the direction of magnetization from the dipole field at the sampling site. The studied interval was sampled by taking two hand blocks from four sampling levels, which minimizes the errors due to the specimen cutting. This anomaly dated ∼300 ka possibly corresponds to the Biva-II geomagnetic excursion. However, the studies of implications of anisotropy in magnetic susceptibility (AMS) for the direction of natural remanent magnetization (NMR) have shown that parts of the samples from the Inzhavino paleosoils and the underlying loess horizon are magnetically anisotropic, which is characteristic for biogenic magnetite grains, while other parts of the samples exhibit plane anisotropy typical for natural sedimentary structures. A weak correlation between the time series of averaged curves of relative paleointensity, NRM₂₀/ARM₂₀ (and NRM₂₀/K) for the loess horizons of the Pekla section and the global composite reference curve of relative paleointensity, Sint-800, in the time intervals 200–130 ka and 370–320 ka indicates that the paleomagnetic records have been imprinted not only on the detritic magnetic grains but also on the grains produced by chemical reactions and the life processes of bacteria.     

A preliminary magnetic study of soil samples from west-central Minnesota

Various rock magnetic techniques were applied to characterize magnetically the samples of a soil profile taken from west-central Minnesota. There is a marked change in magnetic properties as a function of depth in the core. X-ray analysis and Curie temperature measurements carried out on the magnetic fractions indicate that magnetite is the dominant iron oxide in both the top soil and the subsoil. The intensity of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) decreases sharply as the depth increases. In contrast, the stability of ARM was found to be higher for the subsoil. The surface soil sample was capable of acquiring a significant amount of viscous remanent magnetization (VRM). The VRM acquisition coefficient (S_a) of the subsoil (S_{a= 3.18 × 10^?6emu g^?1, 3.18 × 10^?6A m² kg^?1}) was about ten times weaker than that of the top soil sample (S_a = 3.868 × 10^{?7emu g?1, 3.868 × 10?7A m2 kg?1}). The magnetic domain state indicator, the ratio of coercivity of remanence to coercive force, H_cr/H_c, was 1.5 and 3.85 for the top soil and subsoil, respectively. It appears that the observed variations in magnetic properties down the present soil core is due only to a difference in grain size. We conclude that the magnetic grains in surface soil samples were more single-domain (SD) like whereas the magnetite grains in the subsoil samples were more likely in pseudo-single-domain (PSD) or small multidomain (MD) range. The observed lower stability for the surface soil samples is attributed to the presence of superparamagnetic grains whose presence was confirmed by transmission electron micrographs.     

Magnetic signature of indoor air pollution: Household dust study

The combination of magnetic and geochemical methods was used to determine the mineralogy, grain size and domain structure of magnetic particles in indoor dust collected in 195 sites in Warsaw, Poland. Data show an asymmetric distribution of magnetic susceptibility (χ) in the wide range of 20–1514 × 10^?8 m³ kg^?1. Comparison of magnetic parameters shows that the internal dust contains outside pollution characteristic for air and soil. More than 90% of indoor dust samples were characterized by roughly uniform magnetic mineralogy, typical for fine grained magnetite (diameter of 0.2–5 μm), and grain size between pseudo-single-domain and small multi-domain with small contribution of superpara-magnetic particles (～10%). Samples with χ larger than 220 × 10^?8 m³ kg^?1 contain mainly magnetite and an anthropogenic metallic Fe with T _C > 700°C. The indoor dust contains, characteristic for the urban areas, spherical magnetic particles originated from fossil fuel combustion processes and mixture of irregular angular iron-oxides grains containing other elements, including Na, Ca, Al, Si, K, S, Mn, Cl, and Mg.     

First-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams for pseudo-single-domain magnetites at high temperature

The recently developed first-order reversal curve (FORC) technique for rapidly examining magnetic domain state has great potential for paleomagnetic and environmental magnetic investigations. However, there are still some gaps in the basic understanding of FORC diagrams, in particular the behavior of pseudo-single-domain (PSD) grains and the contribution of magnetostatic interactions. In this paper we address some of these problems. We report the first FORC diagrams measurements on narrowly sized and well-characterized synthetic PSD through multidomain (MD) magnetite samples. The FORC diagrams evolve with grain size from single-domain (SD)-like to MD-like through the PSD grain size range. Since each sample contains grains of essentially a single size, individual PSD grains evidently contain contributions from both SD-like and MD-like magnetic moments, in proportions that vary with grain size; the evolving FORC diagrams cannot be due to physical mixtures of SD and MD grains of widely different sizes. The FORC diagrams were all asymmetric. Small PSD samples have FORC diagrams with a distinctive closed-contour structure. The distributions of the larger MD grains display no peak, and lie closer to the interaction-field axis. To assess the effect of magnetostatic interactions, we measured FORC diagrams between room temperature and the Curie temperature. On heating the FORC distributions contract without changing shape until ∼500°C. Above this temperature the diagrams become more MD-like, and in addition become more symmetric. The temperature dependence of the interaction-field parameter is proportional to that of the saturation magnetization, in accordance with Néel’s interpretation of the Preisach diagram. The decrease in asymmetry with heating suggests that the origin of the asymmetry lies in magnetostatic interactions. The magnetic hysteresis parameters as a function of temperature were determined from the FORC curves. As the grain size decreased the normalized coercive force was found to decrease more rapidly with temperature.     

Integration of magnetism and heavy metal chemistry of soils to quantify the environmental pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract Soil profiles of the Kathmandu urban area exhibit significant variations in magnetic susceptibility (χ) and saturation isothermal remanence (SIRM), which can be used to discriminate environmental pollution. Magnetic susceptibility can be used to delineate soil intervals by depth into normal (< 10^?7 m³/kg), moderately enhanced (10^?7–< 10^?6 m³/kg) and highly enhanced (≥ 10^?6 m³/kg). Soils far from roads and industrial sites commonly fall into the ‘normal’ category. Close to a road corridor, soils at depths of several centimeters have the highest χ, which remains high within the upper 20 cm interval, and decreases with depth through ‘moderately magnetic’ to ‘normal’ at approximately 30–40 cm. Soils in the upper parts of profiles in urban recreational parks have moderate χ. Soil SIRM has three components of distinct median acquisition fields (B_1/2): soft (30–50 mT, magnetite‐like phase), intermediate (120–180 mT, probably maghemite or soft coercivity hematite) and hard (550–600 mT, hematite). Close to the daylight surface, SIRM is dominated by a soft component, implying that urban pollution results in enrichment by a magnetite‐like phase. Atomic absorption spectrometry of soils from several profiles for heavy metals reveals remarkable variability (ratio of maximum to minimum contents) of Cu (16.3), Zn (14.8) and Pb (9.3). At Rani Pokhari, several metals are well correlated with χ, as shown by a linear relationship between the logarithmic values. At Ratna Park, however, both χ and SIRM show significant positive correlation with Zn, Pb and Cu, but poor and even negative correlation with Fe (Mn), Cr, Ni and Co. Such differences result from a variety of geogenic, pedogenic, biogenic and man‐made factors, which vary in time and space. Nevertheless, for soil profiles affected by pollution (basically traffic‐related), χ exhibits a significant linear relationship with a pollution index based on the contents of some urban elements (Cu, Pb, Zn), and therefore it serves as an effective parameter for quantifying the urban pollution.     

Magnetic characterization and Mössbauer spectroscopy of magnetic concentrates from Greek lake sediments

Bulk magnetic properties of three Greek lake sediments indicated that the main magnetic constituent was predominantly pseudo-single-domain magnetite. This was confirmed by successfully extracting and directly identifying the magnetite. The majority of the magnetite in the magnetic concentrates is present as grains of about 2–3 μm in size, the overall size ranging from < 1to～ 10 μm with occasional grains up to ～ 20 μm. The grains are roughly equidimensional and angular in form indicating that they are of primarily detrital origin, although an authigenic origin for the very fine grains must be a possibility. Mössbauer spectra of the magnetic concentrates suggest that either the magnetite is slightly non-stoichiometric to a similar degree in the three lakes, or contains impurity ions. Haematite was also found in the concentrates but its abundance is only ～10–15% that of magnetite and its is not detectable in any of the magnetic properties of the sediments.