Anisotropy of out-of-phase magnetic susceptibility in titanomagnetite-bearing rocks due to weak field hysteresis

Abstract

Properties of the out-of-phase susceptibility (opMS) of rocks and artificial specimens whose opMS is due to weak-field hysteresis, containing magnetite and titanomagnetite, were investigated and theoretical relation between degrees of the in-phase susceptibility (ipMS) and opAMS was confirmed experimentally. Pure magnetite shows virtually no field dependence of ipMS and zero opMS in fields less than 500 A m⁻¹. In low-Ti titanomagnetite, the intensity of the ipMS variation is very low, hardly reaching 1% of the initial value. In high-Ti titanomagnetite, the intensity of ipMS variation is relatively strong reaching 50% of the initial value and that of opMS variation is even much stronger reaching multiples of the initial value. The anisotropy of ipMS (ipAMS) of artificial specimens consisting of disseminated magnetite powder in plaster of Paris is well defined, while the opAMS is virtually undetectable. In titanomagnetite-bearing volcanic and dyke rocks, the ipAMS evidently reflects the character of lava flow. The opAMS ellipsoids resemble the ipAMS ellipsoids, the degree of opAMS being significantly higher than that of ipAMS. The principal directions of ipAMS and opAMS are related closely in specimens with high-Ti titanomagnetites and only poorly in specimens with low-Ti titanomagnetites. In specimens with high-Ti titanomagnetites, there is a linear relation and very strong correlation (R² = 0.95) between the degree of opAMS and the square of the degree of ipAMS corresponding to the theoretical relation between these degrees.