Paleomagnetic Directions and Demagnetization Data from Grenadine Islands

Original sample-level paleomagnetic data from Eocene-Oligocene rocks in the Grenadine Islands reveals at least 25° clockwise rotation relative to the geographic north pole. Jade Sauerbier and colleagues published this dataset in 2026 to investigate regional intraplate deformation above the Lesser Antilles subduction zone. The data includes Characteristic Remanent Magnetization distributions in .col and .txt formats for analysis.

Use Cases

• Calculate mean virtual geomagnetic poles using Declination, Inclination, K, and A95 parameters to model regional tectonic rotation.
• Analyze demagnetization steps and intensity from .col files to validate the interpreted Characteristic Remanent Magnetization per sample.
• Compare Declination and Inclination values between sites to quantify spatial variation in rotation magnitude across the Grenadine Islands.
• Use maximum angular deviation and number of steps per sample to assess data quality and reliability of paleomagnetic directions.

Strengths

• Data spans a critical tectonic period from the Eocene to Oligocene, providing a snapshot of Caribbean plate motion.
• Includes interpreted paleomagnetic directions with supporting statistics like A95 confidence intervals.
• Available in two standard paleomagnetic formats (.col for Paleomagnetism.org and .txt for MagIC) ensuring tool compatibility.

Limitations

• Dataset is small at 2.2 MB, indicating a limited number of rock samples or sites.
• Sample-level data is provided without aggregated site- or formation-level statistics, requiring user calculation.
• Temporal coverage is restricted to Eocene-Oligocene rocks, lacking a continuous time series.

Provenance

Source

Jade Sauerbier et al., associated with a 2026 AGU Tectonics publication.

Collection Method

Paleomagnetic analysis of rock samples, including demagnetization experiments to determine Characteristic Remanent Magnetization.

Time Range

Eocene to Oligocene geological period.

Freshness

Data was last updated in March 2026, representing recent research findings.

Geography

Grenadine Islands (Southern Lesser Antilles), Caribbean region.