Preliminary results from rock magnetic analyses of quaternary and tertiary basalts from the Gulf Coast of Mexico

As the foundation for a paleomagnetic study of the Gulf Coast of Mexico, rock magnetic measurements were carried out on basaltic samples from 40 sites in the Gulf Coast region. Strong-field thermomagnetic and hysteresis techniques as well as room and low temperature susceptibility analyses were employed. These measurements show that the samples contain titanomagnetites with domain stales from single-to multi-domain, with few superparamagnetic grains. Most samples have undergone at least partial deuteric oxidation though a significant quantity have not. The titanomagnetites have a range of compositions from Ti-poor to Ti-rich, where the latter appear to have endured varying degrees of maghematization.