Studies of the paleointensity of the geomagnetic field are essential if we are to understand the mechanisms that generate the field. Despite its importance, there is a general dearth of paleointensity data, in part because of al lack of suitable materials. Obtaining data from lavas and archeological materials is time consuming and the record cannot begin to achieve the time and space density necessary. Marine sediments are not ideal records because only smoothed and relative paleointensity data may be obtained. Nonetheless, they could provide continuous, well data sequences from many areas around the globe. Initial work on box core sediments are encouraging. Funds are provided to produce relative paleointensity data from three widespread areas spanning at least the last half million years. These will be used to assess possible periodicities in paleointensity and ultimately to assess relative contributions of dipole versus non- dipole terms. In addition to analyzing Scripps core material, a better technique for deconvolving long core measurements than is currently available will be developed.
