The calculation of paleomagnetic poles from seamount magnetic anomalies involves several simplifying assumptions concerning the source of magnetization of the seamount. In 1987, the principal investigators received funding for an integrated geochemcial, petrological, and paleomagnetic study of representative seamount lithologies to test these assumptions. Dredge samples from Jasper seamount and oriented samples from an uplifted seamount sequence exposed on La Palma, Canary islands were studied. This study will continue to: 1) augment the data set with analyses from several other seamounts and oceanic island exposures to assess the general applicability of the current data set, 2) characterize further the geological, mineralogical, and geochemical boundary conditions for the samples already analyzed, 3) study the effects of metamorphism on magnetic properties, and 4) apply the results to the analysis of seamount magnetic anomaly data.
