Abstract A marine sediment core from the western Mediterranean provides a new high-resolution 4500 year record of palaeomagnetic secular variation and relative palaeointensity. In 2013, the 7.1 m C5 core was recovered from the Tyrrhenian Sea as part of the NextData climate data project. The coring site, 15 km offshore from the Volturno river mouth, is well located to record combined marine and terrestrial palaeoclimatic influences, and the fine-grained, rapidly deposited sediments are effective palaeomagnetic recorders. We investigate the palaeomagnetic field direction and strength recorded in the core, which provide a valuable high-resolution record of Holocene geomagnetic variation in the area. Using rock magnetic techniques, we constrain the magnetic mineralogy of the studied sediments and confirm their suitability for palaeomagnetic analysis. Palaeomagnetic declination and inclination records were determined by stepwise alternating-field demagnetization, and relative palaeointensity estimates were obtained based on normalization to anhysterestic and isothermal remanent magnetization and to magnetic susceptibility. The age of the core is well constrained with a tephra and biostratigraphic age model, and its magnetic records are compared with relevant core and model data for the region, demonstrating that our record is compatible with previous results from the area. An automated curve matching approach is applied to assess the compatibility of our data with the existing secular variation path for the Mediterranean area.

Abstract Fabric is a ubiquitous and significant feature of geological materials. The processes involved in the formation and deformation of rocks and sediments leave their mark on the orientations of the constituent mineral grains. Petrofabrics thus provide essential keys to understanding the history of geological materials. Magnetic anisotropy is directly related to petrofabric, and has become one of the most rapid, sensitive and widely used tools for its characterization. The relationship between magnetic fabric and petrofabric is complex and depends on various factors including the composition, concentration and grain size of mineral grains. Ongoing research in geological applications is paralleled by studies of the fundamental mineral magnetic phenomena involved. The papers in this book represent the current state of investigations in magnetic anisotropy studies as a discipline that integrates geological interpretations, mineral fabric development, technical advances and rock-magnetic properties.