SOME OBSERVATIONS ON ROCK MAGNETISM

It seems that in general the plane of maximum magnetic susceptibility lies in the bedding plane for sediments and in the plane of foliation for metamorphic rocks; there is, also, a tendency for the remanent vector to lie in the plane of foliation in the latter. In the case of chemical deposits, the question is raised as to whether the hematite crystal growth is controlled by the magnetic field. Since pure hematite crystals are paramagnetic along the ternary axis, the remanent vector lies in the basal plane perpendicular to this axis, which being the plane of ferromagnetism, is also the plane of maximum susceptibility. We have investigated chemically deposited hematite in the Clinton iron ore of Silurian Age. Although the remanent vector lies close to the plane of maximum susceptibility, this plane, unfortunately, is also the bedding plane. Several other hematite‐bearing formations show a direction of magnetization close to the bedding plane. Measurements of magnetization and susceptibility anisotropy of samples cooled below the transition temperature for hematite have been made with no conclusive results other than indications of the presence of hematite in some cases. Samples from the Hazel formation of pre‐Cambrian Age have been investigated. The planes of maximum susceptibility for this slightly metamorphosed red bed dip at various angles, and thus a system of microfractures containing magnetic material is suggested as a possible explanation. Pole locations for the Clinton iron ore and the Hazel are presented.