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Abstract

Detailed rock magnetic investigations were carried out on a set of samples with defined ratios of haematite and magnetite. The measured parameters provide a reference for interpreting common rock magnetic parameters in investigations of sediments. The contribution of haematite to the magnetic fraction must exceed 95 wt-% of the magnetic fraction when mixed with magnetite in order to visibly influence grain size and coercitivity indicative magnetic parameters. Coercivity of remanence (BCR) and coercive force (BC) do not change in the same way with increasing haematite content, which results in a peak BCR/BC value at around 99.5 wt-% haematite. Variations in haematite content can be ignored when interpreting most rock magnetic parameters, especially grain size indicative parameters for samples where haematite contents range from 0 to 98 wt-%. The S-ratio is still the most sensitive parameter for estimating the relative amount of haematite in magnetite/haematite mixtures. A combination of S-ratio, the saturation isothermal remanent magnetization divided by the low field magnetic susceptibility (SIRM/κLF) and BCR is the most effective way to identify haematite in natural samples. Our results agree with literature data and fill the gap between results obtained either from pure magnetite or haematite with comparable grain sizes.