Polarity Transistion Studies in the Wai'anae Volcano: From the Gilbert-Gauss to the Upper Kaena Reversals

地球科学中最基本的问题之一是地磁场是如何产生的，并能够反转极性。在过去的几年里，人们作出了相当大的努力来获取磁场极性反转的短暂过渡时期的记录。因此，今天正在进行的最令人兴奋的地球物理测量之一就是详细记录地球磁场在极性之间的转换。目前对地磁场反转的兴趣主要集中在记录极性反转期间的详细磁场行为，以便约束各种地磁发电机模型。为了了解地核中产生的反转过程，详细的极性转变记录是必要的。研究人员建议研究位于夏威夷奥胡岛Wai'anae火山的两个不同部分的三个连续极性转变的火山记录。这些倒转是上猛犸（R-N），下（N-R）和上卡埃纳（R-N）。在这个为期一年的项目中，研究人员将钻探这两个剖面，进行必要的古地磁和岩石地磁实验室测量，并完成对结果的分析和解释。对这些倒转古场的过渡行为的详细研究，也将为外庵火山磁地层学的建立提供依据。这些结果将有助于了解从吉尔伯特-高斯到上凯纳反转的古场行为及其与地球动力学的关系。

Herrero-Bervera 9909206 One of the most fundamental questions in Earth sciences is how the geomagnetic field is generated and is able to reverse polarity. During the last few years considerable effort has been devoted to the acquisition of records of the short transitional periods during which the field reverses polarity. Thus, today one of the most exciting geophysical measurements being made is the detailed recording of the Earth's magnetic field in transitions between polarities. Much of the current interest in geomagnetic field reversals is concentrated on documenting the detailed field behavior during polarity reversals in order to constrain the various models of the geomagnetic dynamo. Detailed polarity transition records are necessary in order to understand the reversal processes generated in the Earth's core. The investigators propose to study volcanic records of three successive polarity transitions located in two different sections found in the Wai'anae volcano, O'ahu, Hawaii. These reversals are the Upper Mammoth (R-N), the Lower (N-R) and Upper Kaena (R-N). In this one-year project, the investigators will drill both sections, perform the necessary paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic laboratory measurements, and complete analysis and interpretation of the results. This detailed study of the transitional behavior of the paleofield of those reversals will also serve as the basis for the construction of the magnetostratigraphy of the Wai'anae volcano. The results will provide insight into the paleofield behavior from the Gilbert-Gauss to the Upper Kaena reversals and their relationship to the geodynamo.