Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Depth Distribution Of Magnetofossils In Near-Surface Sediments From The Blake/Bahama Outer Ridge, Western North Atlantic Ocean, Determined By Low-Temperature Magnetism, Bernard A. Housen, Bruce M. Moskowitz

Geology Faculty Publications

Fe-oxide and Fe-sulfide trace minerals in sediments and sedimentary rocks provide proxy records of biogeochemical processes, record past variations in the geomagnetic field, and can serve as proxies for climatic variations. An important class of these Feoxides is produced by bacteria. Magnetic particles produced by magnetotactic bacteria have been proposed as a primary recorder of the geomagnetic field in many terrestrial marine sediments, and have also been suggested to represent fossil evidence of life on the planet Mars. To better understand their distribution and preservation in the sediment column, and their relationship to other biochemical processes, we present rock-magnetic data …