VRM Studies in Leg 37 Igneous Rocks

A representative set of igneous rock samples from Hole 332B and Sites 334 and 335 were studied to determine their ability to acquire viscous remanence (VRM). The results for samples from Sites 334 and 335 indicate that VRM cannot be considered to be a serious secondary component in the remanence of these rocks; these samples have stable magnetizations characterized by high median destructive fields (MDF). The ability to develop VRM is quite variable in samples from Hole 332B. In high MDF samples, the developed VRM is of low intensity, but in samples with low MDF and VRM can account for a large portion of the measured NRM intensity. The quantities VRM/NRM and MDF were approximately inversely proportional for samples from the three holes studied here