Archeomagnetism Laboratory (CENIEH Burgos, Spain)
The Geochronology Laboratories at the CENIEH include a common facility
for general geological sample preparation and mineral separation. This
sample preparation laboratory includes: chemical hoods, circular saws,
dentist drills, agate mortars, sieves, scales, a magnetic separator,
ultrasonic baths, and muffle and drying ovens. The facility also has the
required material (glass and PTFE) for chemical preparation and the use
of various chemical solutions such as hydrochloric (HCl) and
hydrofluoric (HF) acids, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
and heavy density liquids (SPT). The paleomagnetism laboratory, as an
integral part of the Geochronology facility, was set up in 2009, with
the aim of pursuing research in the field of Quaternary geology and
paleontology, as well as providing support to research groups.
Rocks, sediments, and soil, contain traces of ferromagnetic minerals,
which magnetization is aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, and
therefore act as fossil compasses that record the Earth’s magnetic field
of the past. The most common ferromagnetic minerals include magnetite
(Fe3O4), hematite (Fe2O3),
goethite (α-FeOOH) and some iron sulfides (e.g., greigite,
Fe3S4). A number of experiment and observations
have proved that igneous and sedimentary rocks acquire an initial or
primary magnetization during or shortly after formation, which is
statistically aligned with the Earth’s field direction. Since the
geomagnetic field keeps changing in time (both in intensity and
polarity), it is possible to use such changes to assign an age to rocks,
sediments, or archaeological artifacts, by comparing the observations to
reference curves. In our laboratory we are particularly interested and
currently develop research on magnetostratigraphy, rockmagnetic
cyclostratigraphy, and rock magnetism, in depositional environments that
include caves, lakes and alluvial basins. From a microscale perspective,
we also devote significant efforts and have the capability to determine
rock fabrics, including grain preferred orientation for strain studies
and also depositional environment reconstruction purposes.
