U.S.-France Cooperative Research: The Intensity of the Geomagnetic Field in the Cretaceous

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This two-year award provides support for US-France cooperative research on studies of changes in the strength of the earth's magnetic field during the Cretaceous period. The collaboration involves the research groups of H. Paul Johnson at the University of Washington and Carlos Laj at the Center for Radioactive Intensity Studies, Gif-sur- Yvette, France. The investigators will perform paleointensity experiments on unaltered Cretaceous volcanic rock from the Pacific Northwest. In the French laboratory, the rocks will be tested for geomagnetic field intensity and correlations between intensity and polarity reversal rates. The US investigator brings to this collaboration expertise in geophysics. This is complemented by French expertise in experiments in paleointensity. The project's focus on long-term changes in geomagnetic field strength will advance understanding of function of the geodynamo and interactions between the liquid core and earth's lower mantle.