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Iron accumulation in the brain is a phenomenon common to many neurodegenerative diseases, perhaps most notably Alzheimer’s disease (AD).We present here magnetic analyses of post-mortem brain tissue of patients who had severe Alzheimer’s disease, and compare the results with those from healthy controls. Isothermal remanent magnetization experiments were performed to assess the extent to which different magnetic carriers are affected by AD pathology and formalin fixation.While Alzheimer’s brain material did not show higher levels of magnetite/maghemite nanoparticles than corresponding controls, the ferrihydrite mineral, known to be found within the core of ferritin proteins and hemosiderin aggregates, almost doubled in concentration in patients with Alzheimer’s pathology, strengthening the conclusions of our previous studies. As part of this study, we also investigated the effects of sample preparation, by performing experiments on frozen tissue as well as tissue which had been fixed in formalin for a period of five months. Our results showed that the two different preparations did not critically affect the concentration of magnetic carriers in brain tissue, as observable by SQUID magnetometry.

International audience; Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) produce single-stranded or multi-stranded chains of magnetic nanoparticles that contribute to the magnetization of sediments and rocks. Their magnetic fingerprint can be detected in ancient geological samples and serve as a unique biosignature of microbial life. However, some fossilized assemblages bear contradictory signatures pointing to magnetic components that have distinct origin(s). Here, using micromagnetic simulations and mutant MTB producing looped magnetosome chains, we demonstrate that the observed magnetofossil fingerprints are produced by a mixture of single-stranded and multi-stranded chains, and that diagenetically induced chain collapse, if occurring, must preserve the strong uniaxial anisotropy of native chains. This anisotropy is the key factor for distinguishing magnetofossils from other populations of natural magnetite particles, including those with similar individual crystal characteristics. Furthermore, the detailed properties of magnetofossil signatures depend on the proportion of equant and elongated magnetosomes, as well as on the relative abundances of single-stranded and multi-stranded chains. This work has important paleoclimatic, paleontological, and phylogenetic implications, as it provides reference data to differentiate distinct MTB lineages according to their chain and magnetosome morphologies, which will enable the tracking of the evolution of some of the most ancient biomineralizing organisms in a time-resolved manner. It also enables a more accurate discrimination of different sources of magnetite particles, which is pivotal for gaining better environmental and relative paleointensity reconstructions from sedimentary records.

Reconstructions of the global production rate of the cosmogenic isotope 10Be from sedimentary records of authigenic 10Be/9Be ratios have been successfully used to obtain independent estimates of geomagnetic dipole moment variations caused by field excursions or reversals. In this study, we assess the reliability of 10Be/9Be as a proxy for the cosmogenic 10Be production rate by evaluating two potential biasing sources represented by sediment composition and climatic modulation. For this purpose, we compare five high-resolution 10Be/9Be records of the Matuyama-Brunhes (M-B) field reversal from sediment cores of the Indian, West Pacific, and North Atlantic oceans. Significant increase of 10Be/9Be ratios at ∼ 774 ka is explained in terms of the dominant control of geomagnetic modulation during the M-B reversal. Results do not support the existence of a direct proportionality between measured sedimentary 10Be/9Be ratio and cosmogenic 10Be production rate, as shown by 10Be/9Be records that offset relative to each other during and outside the M-B reversal. Residual differences between offset-corrected rescaled records do not appear to be related to an incomplete correction of variable sediment scavenging efficiencies by 9Be normalization. Instead, these differences can be explained by a common climatic modulation model, assuming a linear relation between 10Be/9Be and the global 10Be production rate with site- and time-dependent additive and multiplicative coefficients. These coefficients are linear functions of a single global climate proxy identified with the benthic δ 18 O record. Additive coefficients are almost constant in time and can represent up to ∼ 60% of the average 10Be/9Be value during periods of stable field polarity. Multiplicative coefficients are also site-specific, with mean values representing the bulk scavenging efficiency of the site, and variations about this mean expressing a multiplicative climatic modulation of the 10Be production rate. The amplitude of this modulation amounts to 10–15% of the maximum variations recorded during the M-B reversal and is sufficiently large to mask minor variations of the dipole moment during stable polarity periods. Reconstructions of the geomagnetic dipole intensity can benefit from the information about climatic modulation effects gained with our modelling approach. Best suited sites for magnetic field reconstructions should be characterized by minimal Be-recycling contributions from ancient 10Be reservoirs and minimal climatic modulation, as far as it can be determined from relative comparisons with other records. These conditions are most likely encountered in open basins at sites (1) with 2.8 km water depth, (2) > 200 km offshore, and (3) located underneath a large current system extending over regions with minimum terrigenous inputs. Scaling all records with respect to a chosen reference enables to produce 10Be/9Be stacks with reduced noise and short-term local environmental effects. Differences between stacks obtained in this manner highlight global climatic effects that need to be considered when generating calibrated reconstructions of the geomagnetic dipole moment.

Near-shore marine sediments deposited during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum at Wilson Lake, NJ, contain abundant conventional and giant magnetofossils. We find that giant, needle-shaped magnetofossils from Wilson Lake produce distinct magnetic signatures in low-noise, high-resolution first-order reversal curve (FORC) measurements. These magnetic measurements on bulk sediment samples identify the presence of giant, needle-shaped magnetofossils. Our results are supported by micromagnetic simulations of giant needle morphologies measured from transmission electron micrographs of magnetic extracts from Wilson Lake sediments. These simulations underscore the single-domain characteristics and the large magnetic coercivity associated with the extreme crystal elongation of giant needles. Giant magnetofossils have so far only been identified in sediments deposited during global hyperthermal events and therefore may serve as magnetic biomarkers of environmental disturbances. Our results show that FORC measurements are a nondestructive method for identifying giant magnetofossil assemblages in bulk sediments, which will help test their ecology and significance with respect to environmental change.

Levinson-Lessing Lake in northern Central Siberia is a sedimentary archive characterized by continuous, widely constant sedimentation at high rates (0.7 m ka−1 for >32 ka). This study provides the first evidence of the suitability of the lake′s sediments for paleomagnetic analyses using the 46-m-long core Co1401. Although the lowermost 8 m are disturbed, the upper 38 m of Co1401 provide the preconditions for an exceptional, high-resolution paleomagnetic record located within the tangent cylinder of the inner core. High-resolution analyses of magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, isothermal remanent magnetization, and hysteresis parameters show largely uniform mineral magnetic properties. First-order reversal curves indicate magnetite particles in pseudo-single domain state are the main remanence carrier, supplemented by single-domain particles, originating likely from magnetotactic bacteria. Above 6.7 m, the bulk magnetic mineralogy is slightly harder than below and initial greigite formation occurs. However, the main remanence carriers are still of detrital origin.

Sediments continuously record variations of the Earth's magnetic field and thus provide an important archive for studying the geodynamo. The recording process occurs as magnetic grains partially align with the geomagnetic field during and after sediment deposition, generating a depositional remanent magnetization (DRM) or post-DRM (PDRM). (P)DRM acquisition mechanisms have been investigated for over 50 years, yet many aspects remain unclear. A key issue concerns the controversial role of bioturbation, that is, the mechanical disturbance of sediment by benthic organisms, during PDRM acquisition. A recent theory on bioturbation-driven PDRM appears to solve many inconsistencies between laboratory experiments and palaeomagnetic records, yet it lacks experimental proof. Here we fill this gap by documenting the important role of bioturbation-induced rotational diffusion for (P)DRM acquisition, including the control exerted on the recorded inclination and intensity, as determined by the equilibrium between aligning and perturbing torques acting on magnetic particles., Sediments record variations of the Earth's magnetic field via the alignment of magnetic grains during and after deposition, yet the role of post-depositional processes remains unclear. Here, the authors present experiments showing how microbially-induced bioturbation controls the alignment process.

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in power systems, which can lead to transformer damage over the short and the long term, are a result of space weather events and geomagnetic variations. For a long time, only high-latitude areas were considered to be at risk from these currents, but recent studies show that considerable GICs also appear in midlatitude and equatorial countries. In this paper, we present initial results from a GIC model using a thin-sheet approach with detailed surface and subsurface conductivity models to compute the induced geoelectric field. The results are compared to measurements of direct currents in a transformer neutral and show very good agreement for short-period variations such as geomagnetic storms. Long-period signals such as quiet-day diurnal variations are not represented accurately, and we examine the cause of this misfit. The modelling of GICs from regionally varying geoelectric fields is discussed and shown to be an important factor contributing to overall model accuracy. We demonstrate that the Austrian power grid is susceptible to large GICs in the range of tens of amperes, particularly from strong geomagnetic variations in the east–west direction.

Geophysical Journal International, 168 (1), ISSN:0956-540X, ISSN:1365-246X

Massive stars, which terminate their evolution as core collapse supernovae, are theoretically predicted to eject more than 1E-5 solar masses of the radioisotope 60Fe. If such an event occurs sufficiently close to our solar system, traces of the supernova debris could be deposited on Earth. Herein, we report a time resolved 60Fe signal residing, at least partially, in a biogenic reservoir. Using accelerator mass spectrometry, this signal was found through the direct detection of live 60Fe atoms contained within secondary iron oxides, among which are magnetofossils, the fossilized chains of magnetite crystals produced by magnetotactic bacteria. The magnetofossils were chemically extracted from two Pacific Ocean sediment drill cores. Our results show that the 60Fe signal onset occurs around 2.6 Ma to 2.8 Ma, near the lower Pleistocene boundary, terminates around 1.7 Ma, and peaks at about 2.2 Ma., Figures from the Supplementary Information are not included due to file size restrictions. Download the, now open access, original article for those details (see doi)

We present a novel technique for quantitative unmixing of primary and secondary ferrimagnetic minerals in sediments. Hysteresis and high-resolution first-order reversal curve (FORC) measurements are performed on sediment samples before and after digestion in a citrate–bicarbonate–dithionite (CBD) solution optimized for maximum selective extraction of secondary fine-grained iron oxides. The difference between magnetic measurements of untreated and CBD-treated sample materials is used to calculate the original magnetic signature of CBD-extractable minerals. A combination of selective chemical extraction and magnetic measurements suited for the detection of single-domain particles provides a cross-check between chemical and magnetic unmixing of primary and secondary iron oxides and resolves the non-uniqueness problem of numerical unmixing methods. A quantitative magnetic characterization of secondary ferrimagnetic minerals in a magnetofossil-rich pelagic carbonate is presented for the first time. It can be used for calibration of recently developed fast magnetic unmixing techniques. CBD-based Fe extraction from sediments with minimal clastic and/or aeolian inputs, such as pelagic carbonates, is particularly suited for the search for cosmogenic 60Fe signatures from supernova explosions, because 60Fe dilution by dissolved primary Fe-bearing minerals is minimized. Fil: Ludwig, P.. Technische Universitat Munchen; Alemania Fil: Egli, R.. Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics; Austria Fil: Bishop, S.. Technische Universitat Munchen; Alemania Fil: Chernenko, V.. Technische Universitat Munchen; Alemania Fil: Frederichs, T.. Universitat Bremen; Alemania Fil: Rugel, G.. Helmholtz-Zentrum; Alemania Fil: Merchel, S.. Helmholtz-Zentrum; Alemania Fil: Orgeira, Maria Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; Argentina

An interdisciplinary investigation of the Pleistocene clay succession of Fornaci di Ranica (Italian Pre-Alps) aimed to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental history and its chronostratigraphic position and to consider the implications for the Quaternary evolution of the southern alpine borderland near the Early/Middle Pleistocene transition. A detailed survey of Quaternary deposits in boreholes and exposed sections provided a complete record of the basin. The most complete core was analyzed for palynology and magnetic properties. Plant macrofossils were obtained by flotation. Pollen and spectrometric analysis allowed a precise stratigraphic placement of a moose antler and braincase kept in museum collections. The basin originated from fluviatile obstruction of a tributary valley cut into bedrock. The basal deposits formed as a terrestrial hydromorphic soil under a dense Tsuga-forest (zone RNC 1). The overlying palustrine gyttja shows a marked forest withdrawal with a climatic signature (zone RNC 3), followed by a re-establishment of mixed conifer forests (zones RNC 4-6). The occurrences of pollen of cold-adapted taxa (Saxifraga oppositifolia type, Saxifraga stellaris type, Larix), are the oldest so far known south of the Alps and suggest that mean summer temperature was near or even below the thermic tree limit. High herb diversity, partially represented by tall forbs, characterizes this zone. A further increase of the water table can be assumed in zones RNC 4 and RNC 5, since pollen of aquatic plants increases. The find of Larix decidua L. cones demonstrates the existence of the European larch in the Early Pleistocene of the Alps, previously not identified at the species level. After the Serio river had reached the maximum Quaternary aggradation, the lake was rapidly filled up with turbiditic sediments. The identification of Cervalces latifrons (Johnson, 1874) by Azzaroli (Palaeantogr. Italica 71(1979) 48) was confirmed. Pollen spectra obtained from clay fragments preserved in the braincase allowed us to constrain the stratigraphic position of these fossil remains in the lower palustrine portion of the sequence. Pollen and moose palaeoecology corroborate the reconstruction of a boreal landscape. The succession of Fornaci di Ranica is attributed to the late Early Pleistocene on the basis of the following elements: (i) the occurrence of an acme pollen zone of Tsuga, with Carya and Pteroearya; (ii) the low representation of Cedrus; (iii) the biochronology of Cervalces latifrons; (iv) normal fossil magnetic polarity, interpreted as part of the Jaramillo subchron on the basis of correlations with other studied sections from the same region, and, finally, (v) indications from the regional geological evolution. The basin deposits spanned the final stage of a temperate period and the subsequent transition to a cold phase during the Jaramillo subchron or the Cobb cryptochron. The basin originated by fluvioglacial aggradation, triggered by glaciation in the northern part of the Serio river catchement. The lake succession may represent an episode of marked increase of polar ice volume related to MIS (36) 30, or 28. The correlation with the Leffe sequence also suggests that cold climate conditions inferred for pollen zone RNC 3 did not occur earlier in the Early Pleistocene of this region. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

The direction and strength of geomagnetic field had been evolving continuously in the past. One of the few means of obtaining continuous reconstructions of this evolution relies on sedimentary records. The latter are therefore important for understanding the geodynamo and the underlying evolution of the Earth’s interior, as well as providing an important dating tool through magnetostratigraphy. Sedimentary records of geomagnetic field variations rely on two main recording mechanisms: the alignment of magnetic particles, which underlies continuous records of relative paleointensity (RPI), and the archivation of cosmogenic isotopes, in particular ¹⁰Be, whose production by cosmic ray spallation is modulated by the screening action of the dipole component of the Earth’s field. Previous studies reported similarities as well as significant differences between RPI and cosmogenic ¹⁰Be (expressed as ¹⁰Be/⁹Be) records. While a perfect match of the two records is not expected due to environmental contaminations present in both records, the similar changes during the periods characterised by significant decrease of the dipole moment are suggested owning to global field strength control of ¹⁰Be production and attenuation of non-dipolar features in RPI records measured within the sediments with the low sedimentation rates (, La direction et l’intensité du champ géomagnétique ont continuellement évolué dans le passé. L’un des rares moyens d’obtenir des reconstitutions continues de cette évolution repose sur les enregistrements sédimentaires. Ces dernières sont donc importants pour comprendre la géodynamo et l’évolution sous-jacente de l’intérieur de la Terre, ainsi que pour fournir un outil de datation important grâce à la magnétostratigraphie. Les enregistrements sédimentaires des variations du champ géomagnétique reposent sur deux mécanismes d’enregistrement principaux: l’alignement des particules magnétiques, qui sous-tend les enregistrements continus de la paléointensité relative (RPI), et l’archivage des isotopes cosmogéniques, en particulier le ¹⁰Be. Bien que l’on ne s’attende pas à une concordance parfaite des deux enregistrements, les changements similaires au cours des périodes caractérisées par une diminution significative du moment dipolaire sont suggérés grâce au contrôle global du champ de production de ¹⁰Be et à l’atténuation des caractéristiques non dipolaires dans les enregistrements RPI mesurés dans les sédiments avec les faibles taux de sédimentation. L’objectif du présent travail était d’améliorer nos connaissances actuelles sur les mécanismes d’enregistrement dans le cas des sédiments marins, en particulier :1. Les facteurs environnementaux responsables du transport et du retrait du 10Be de lacolonne d’eau et l’effet de la distribution des sources sur l’approvisionnement en ⁹Be.2. L’effet des processus post-dépôt, en particulier celui du mélange des sédiments, sur le10Be et les enregistrements RPI.3. Le mécanisme par lequel une magnétisation post-déposition est acquise près du fond dela couche mélangée en surface.4. Les causes d’un décalage systématique entre les enregistrements ¹⁰Be et RPI et lesfacteurs environnementaux affectant le RPI.Afin de démêler l’apport environnemental et magnétique dans les couches sédimentaires de ¹⁰Be/⁹Be, nous avons analysé cinq enregistrements, couvrant la dernière inversion géomagnétique. Les différentes caractéristiques d’enregistrement sur les cinq sites ont été décrites en termes de modulations climatiques additives et multiplicatives, qui dépendent essentiellement de la profondeur de l’eau, de la localisation le long des grands systèmes de courants océaniques, et de la distance à la côte. Les enregistrements RPI sont fortement affectés par les processus post-dépôt, en particulier le mélange des sédiments, qui est entièrement responsable de l’aimantation rémanente naturelle (NRM) acquise par les sédiments bioturbés, et son retard par rapport aux enregistrements ¹⁰Be. Un nouveau modèle de bioturbation a été développé pour expliquer la NRM sédimentaire dans les sédiments bioturbés. Ce modèle inclut un phénomène récemment découvert de ségrégation de taille dans la couche mélangée de surface (SML), analogue à l’effet bien connu de la noix du Brésil (Brazilian-nut). La ségrégation de taille est responsable de la plus longue permanence des grandes particules dans la SML, jusqu’au cas limite des nodules de ferromanganèse. Nous avons démontré l’effet de noix du Brésil sur les particules de microtektite, qui consiste en une ségrégation des fragments en fonction de leur taille. Le modèle de ségrégation par taille permet d’estimer la profondeur réelle du mélange sédimentaire dû à la bioturbation, une fois prise en compte la composante supplémentaire de vitesse liée à la migration des plus grosses particules vers le haut de la colonne sédimentaire.Les résultats de cette recherche ont une importance significative non seulement pour la caractérisation de la réponse au mélange des sédiments et la reconstruction des enregistrements affectés des processus de bioturbation (par exemple ¹⁰Be /⁹Be), mais aussi pour l’évaluation de la validité des modèles d’âge qui sont limités par les âges des traceurs conservateurs.