What is palaeomagnetism?

Palaeomagnetism is a record of the Earth’s past magnetic field. When lava is erupted at the surface, magnetic minerals, such as iron, in the lava align parallel with the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic minerals have a declination that points towards the magnetic north pole and an inclination related directly to latitude (at the equator inclination is 0˚ and at the North Pole inclination is 90˚). By looking at magnetised rocks we can work out. This is used to tell where the continents were in the past and how they’ve moved. This is used to construct apparent polar wander paths for continents.

LA
Answered by Lucy A. Geology tutor

17531 Views

See similar Geology A Level tutors

Related Geology A Level answers

All answers ▸

State the 3 different types of plate boundaries, and describe their movement.


Why does the Hjulstrom curve have its shape


What is the difference between Oceanic and Continental Crust? What happens to the Oceanic crust when they collide?


Describe the differences in internal morphology that can be seen between a Nautilus and Ammonite


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences