Earth's Magnetic Field Behavior

Mission: Use the magnetic recordings preserved in natural materials to uncover short- and long-term behavior of the Earth's geodynamo, as well as magnetic field history from other planetary bodies. 

The relationship between the frequency of geomagnetic reversals and the long term strength of the Earth's magnetic field. Sprain et al., 2015.

Whenever sediments are deposited or rocks are cooled at the Earth's surface, the ensemble of magnetic minerals within these materials acquires a recording of the direction and intensity of the ambient magnetic field.  

Our research group at the Institute for Rock Magnetism isolates these recordings using an array of some of the world's most sensitive magnetometers. 

We study geomagnetic field behavior across a range of timescales, from short-term geomagnetic spikes and excursions, to geomagnetic reversals, to superchrons and long-term trends in paleointensity.

We love working and learning in the field with our collaborators.

We also study the magnetic field behavior on other planetary bodies including Mercury and Mars, as well as meteorites.    

Funding for this research has been provided by

Related Publications


Welsh, J.T., Feinberg, J.M., Schneider, E., Pares, J.M., Jicha, B.R., Singer, B.S., and Carroll, A.R. 2023. Paleomagnetism and age of the Leucite Hills Volcanic Complex, Wyoming: Implications for eruptive history, landscape evolution, and the geomagnetic instability timescale (GITS). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 444, 107942, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2023.107942

Jaqueto, P., Trindade, R.I.F., Terra-Nova, F., Feinberg, J.M., Novello, V.F., Strikis, N., Schrodl, P., Azevedo, V., Strauss, B.E., Cruz, F.W., Cheng, H., and Edwards, R.L., 2022. Stalagmite paleomagnetic record of a quiet mid-to-late Holocene field activity in central South America, Nature Communications, 13(1), 1349, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28972-8

Mittelholz A, Johnson CL, Feinberg J.M., Langlais B, Phillips RJ.  2020. Timing of the martian dynamo: New Constraints for a core field 4.5 and 3.7 Ga ago. Science Advances. 6(18):eaba0513.

Brandt D, Ernesto M, Constable C, Franco DR, Weinschütz L, Rodrigues POC, Hinnov L, Jaqueto P, Strauss BE, Feinberg JM et al..  2019.  New late Pennsylvanian paleomagnetic results from Paraná Basin (southern Brazil): Is the recent Giant Gaussian Process model valid for the Kiaman Superchron? Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 124(7), 6223-6242, doi.org/10.1029/2018JB016968

Trindade, R., Jaqueto, P., Terra-Nova, F., Brandt, D., Hartmann, G.A., Feinberg, J.M., Strauss, B.E., Novello, V.F., Cruz Jr., F.W., Karmann, I., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., 2018. Speleothem record of geomagnetic South Atlantic Anomaly recurrence, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(52), 13198-13203, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1809197115

Bourne, M.D., Feinberg, J.M., Stafford T.W., Waters MR, Lundelius E, Forman SL, 2016. High-Intensity Geomagnetic Field 'Spike' Observed At Ca. 3000 Cal BP In Texas, USA., Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 442, 80-92. Doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.02.051.

Lascu, I., Feinberg, J.M., Dorale, J.A., Cheng, H., and Edwards, R.L., 2016. Age of the Laschamps excursion determined by U-Th dating of a speleothem geomagnetic record from North America. Geology, 44(2), 139-142, doi: 10.1130/G37490.1

Johnson, C.L., Phillips, R.J., Purucker, M.E., Anderson, B.J., Byrne, P.K., Denevi, B.W., Feinberg, J.M., Hauck, II, S.A., Head III, J.W., Korth, H., James, P.B., Mazarico, E., Neumann, G.A., Philpott, L.C., Siegler, M.A., Tsyganenko, N.A., and Solomon, S.C., 2015. Low-altitude Magnetic Field Measurements by MESSENGER Reveal Mercury’s Ancient Crustal Field. Science. 348(6237), 892-895. Doi: 10.1126/science.aaa8720.

Sprain, C.J., Feinberg, J.M., Geissman, J.W., Strauss, B.E., Brown, M.C., 2015. Paleointensity during periods of rapid reversal: A case study from the Middle Jurassic Shamrock Batholith, western Nevada. Geological Society of America Bulletin, B31283.1. doi:10.1130/B31283.1.

Shaar R, Tauxe L, Ben-Yosef E, Kassianidou V, Lorentzen B, Feinberg JM, Levy TE.  2015.  Decadal-scale variations in geomagnetic field intensity from ancient Cypriot slag mounds. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 16(1):195-214. Doi: 10.1002/2014GC005455.

Stillinger M.D., Feinberg J.M., Frahm E.  2015.  Refining the Archaeomagnetic Dating Curve for the Near East: New Intensity Data from Bronze Age Ceramics at Tell Mozan, Syria. Journal of Archaeological Science. 53:345-355. Doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2014.10.025.

Singer, B.S., Jicha, B.R., Condon, D.J., Macho, A.J., Hoffman, K.A., Dierkhising, J., Brown, M.C., Feinberg, J.M., and Kidane, T., 2014. On the age of the Réunion subchron and Geodynamo Instabilities during the Matuyama Chron, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 405, 25-38. Doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.08.011.

Denyszyn, S.W., Feinberg, J.M., Renne, P.R., Scott, G.R., 2013. Revisiting the age and paleomagnetism of the Modipe Gabbro of South Africa, Precambrian Research, 238, 176-185. Doi: 10.1016/j.precamres.2013.10.002.

Brown, M.C., Singer, B.S., Knudsen, M.F., Jicha, B.R., Finnes, E., and Feinberg, J.M., 2009. No evidence for Brunhes age excursions, Santo Antão, Cape Verde, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 287, 100-115, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.07.039.