Paleolatitudes of the Pacific Plate in the Cretaceous: Comparative Paleomagnetic Investigation on ODP and DSDP Basaltic Cores

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

The PI will investigate existing DSDP and ODP basalt cores from the Pacific Plate to update the Cretaceous paleomagnetic data from these cores. Recent results from basalt cores from the Ontong Java Plateau show them to be consistent but discrepant from basalt cores from other Pacific locations. This may be because short basalt cores from many Pacific boreholes have been measured poorly or not at all, and the PI proposes to make new measurements. In addition, many older studies are over two decade ago using less detailed and discriminating methodologies than those available today. The PI will study basalt cores from ODP/DSDP Sites 1184, 807, 800, 802, 303-304, 289, 462, 164, 166, 167, 169 and 170. If these cores can provide consistent results over a broad area, then the study will go a long way to clearing up a much of confusion about various hypotheses about paleomagnetic behavior.