Previous work by Ken Kodama has investigated changes in the magnetic properties of sediments subjected to various degrees of compaction. Of special interest has been the discovery that the paleolatitude signature recorded at the time of gentle settling on the seafloor becomes degraded during subsequent compaction. In the present study, Kodama will conduct investigations on the microscopic scale to gain an understanding of how grain interaction and reorientation contributes to this change. Controlled mixtures of magnetite- bearing clays will be subjected to hydraulic loading to imitate burial, and relationships between clay fabric, magnetite particle alignment, and degree of sediment compaction will be examined with electron microscopy and X-ray techniques.
