How do sediments become magnetized? Construction of an empirical-numerical framework

Variations of Earth's magnetic field can provide detailed, independent dating of climate changes recorded in marine sediments. To properly interpret magnetic variations in sediments, we urgently need to understand in detail how sediments become magnetized. The oceans around Australia are ideal for such analysis because we can compare magnetic records between two precisely dated events: the last geomagnetic polarity reversal and the Australasian microtektite layer. These sediments also enable us to test how environmental variations affect magnetic recording. Experimental results from these sediments will enable us to develop a new generation of numerical models to provide a detailed understanding of sedimentary magnetizations.