LINKING PALEOMAGNETISM AND ROCK MAGNETISM WITH GEOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS: THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

Research in paleomagnetism and rock magnetism,undeniably, has provided monumental advances in our understanding of many geologic processes and thus geologic observations, at a very broad range of scales. These include, but are certainly not limited to: the recognition of the opening of the Atlantic-bordering continents, over a half-century ago,the demonstration of the far-traveled elements of components of continental margins, the realization that large expanses of crustal materials may be pervasively remagnetized through orogenically-related fluid infiltration, the definition of specific rock magnetic properties as excellent, high-fidelity proxies for identifying climatically-related changes to the earth's surface, on a range of scales. Implicit in most of these and other tremendous contributions is our recognition, using quality paleomagnetic records, that the geomagnetic field functions at an array of timescales; the ca. 100 ka+ timescale component defines the geomagnetic polarity time scale and is a fundamental contributor to our understanding of earth time. A shorter timescale component identifies the overall instability of the geomagnetic field, yet is less well-preserved back in time. Using briefly-described examples of current and recent research at numerous laboratories, this contribution emphasizes the future, where the full, data-intensive details of all investigations will be fully available. Future investigations will follow on the well-established recognition that certain rock types are capable of providing very high-quality paleomagnetic and rock magnetic information, while others are notoriously difficult to tease information from. Advances in magnetic moment measurement capabilities, patience, perseverance, and reason will all contribute to better understanding the many links among remanence acquisition, rock magnetic properties, and geologic processes.