Magnetics Lab Guide

A community-driven guide to running a scientific magnetics research lab.

This document is incomplete, so we welcome contributions. After reading the guide, if you have a question about running your lab or how we run ours, feel free to create a new issue or email us directly at mag-lab-guide@earthref.org.

Persistent URL: http://mag-lab-guide.earthref.org

Table of Contents

• Labs
  • Oregon State University - College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
  • University of California, San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • University of Liverpool - School of Environmental Sciences
  • Utrecht University - Department of Earth Sciences
• Instruments
• Software
• Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions

Labs

A list of institutions and their magnetics (and related) laboratories.

Oregon State University - College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

• Paleomagnetic & Environment Magnetic Research Laboratory (OSU P-Mag Lab)
  PI: Joe Stoner
  The P-Mag Lab is an NSF supported OSU facility dedicated to sediment magnetism and a resource for Pacific NW, national and international scientific communities.

  Instruments:

  • 2G Enterprises 3-axis Superconducting Rock Magnetometer Optimized for u-channel samples, equipped with high resolution DC squids, a software controlled tracking system, in-line alternating field demagnetization coils, in-line DC coil for acquisition of an anhysteric remanent magnetization and a seperate off-line pulse magnetizer for acquisition of an isothermal remanent magnetization for u-channel samples up to fields of 1 Tesla
  • ASC Model IM-10-30 Impulse Magnetizer
    Capable of producing DC field up to 1.2 Tesla
  • Bartington MS3 Susceptibility Meter
    With a 10cm diameter MS2C loop sensor equipped with core track for field measurements and an MS2B for measurement of dual frequency magnetic susceptibility on discrete samples

• OSU Marine and Geology Repository (OSU-MGR)
  PIs: Joe Stoner and Anthony Koppers
  Our mission is to facilitate research, education, and the advancement of scientific knowledge through access and use of our diverse collection of rock, lake, and marine sediment samples.

  Instruments:

  • Beckman Coulter LS 13 320
    Laser diffraction particle size analyzer
  • GEOTEK MSCL-S Multi-Sensor Track
    Containerized sea going MST that provides gamma ray attenuation (GRA) bulk density, loop magnetic susceptibility (MS), P-wave velocity (PWA) and electrical resistivity (ER)
  • GEOTEK XZ
    Provides line scan camera photography and point-source magnetic susceptibility (MS)
  • ITRAX XRF Scanner Capable of split core and u-channel measurement at 0.2mm resolution

  Equipment:

  • Core Splitters
  • Portable vibrating saw core splitter
  • Rock saws
  • Band saw
  • Freeze dryer (Virtus) and Freeze dryer (LabConco)
  • Electronic and Manual balances
  • Automated label maker
  • 2 Freezers (standard)
  • 10 x 20 walk-in freezer
  • Microscopes (petrographic with digital camera and old binocular)
  • Hitachi LCD projector
  • Photography station (Norman flash photography strobe lighting system)
  • Epson Perfection V750 PRO scanner

University of California, San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography

• SIO Paleomagnetic Laboratory
  PIs: Lisa Tauxe
  Our mission is to facilitate research, education, and the advancement of scientific knowledge through access and use of our diverse collection of rock, lake, and marine sediment samples.

  Instruments:

  • Alternating Gradient Force Magnetometer
  • 2G Cryogenic Magnetometer
  • Curie Balance
  • Kappabridge Susceptibility Instrument
  • Thermal Demagnetizer

  Software:

  • PmagPy

University of Liverpool - School of Environmental Sciences

• Geomagnetism Group
  PIs: Andy Biggins
  The Geomagnetism Laboratory at the University of Liverpool houses world-class facilities for the undertaking of palaeomagnetic, archaeomagnetic, and rock magnetic experiments.

  Instruments:

  • 2G Cryogenic magnetometer
    With RAPID sample handling system
  • Agico JR-6 Spinner Magnetometer
  • Agico JR-6A Spinner Magnetometer
  • Agico LDA-5 AF Demagnetiser
    Our first instrument to run off a tablet!
  • Agico MFK1-FA Kappabridge with spinner and CS4/CS-L high/low temperature attachments
  • Magnetic Measurements Super Cooled Thermal Demagnetiser
  • Magnetic Measurements Variable Field Translation Balance (MMVFTB)
    Measures hysteresis/IRM/back-field/thermomagnetic curves
  • 80 Sample Thermal Demagnetiser
  • “Tristan” 14 GHz microwave palaeointensity system with low-temperature SQUID magnetometer

  Equipment:

  • Custom slow cooling oven for cooling rate experiments
  • 2 MMTD24 Thermal Demagnetisers
  • Tumbling AF demagnetiser
  • Meija optical microscope
  • 2 Molspin Spinner Magnetometers
  • Rock drills and saws

Utrecht University - Department of Earth Sciences

• Fort Hoofddijk Paleomagnetic Laboratory
  PIs: Wout Krijgsman, Mark Dekkers, Lennart de Groot, Cor Langereis

Instruments

• 2G Enterprises 3-axis Superconducting Rock Magnetometer
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism, OSU P-Mag Lab, SIO P-Mag Lab

• Agico JR-6A Spinner Magnetometer
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Agico JR-6 Spinner Magnetometer
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Agico LDA-5 AF Demagnetiser
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Agico MFK1-FA Kappabridge with spinner and CS4/CS-L high/low temperature attachments
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Alternating Gradient Force Magnetometer
  SIO P-Mag Lab

• ASC Model IM-10-30 Impulse Magnetizer
  OSU P-Mag Lab

• Bartington MS3 Susceptibility Meter
  OSU P-Mag Lab

• Beckman Coulter LS 13 320
  OSU-MGR

• Curie Balance
  SIO P-Mag Lab

• GEOTEK MSCL-S Multi-Sensor Track
  OSU-MGR

• GEOTEK XZ
  OSU-MGR

• ITRAX XRF Scanner
  OSU-MGR

• Kappabridge Susceptibility Instrument
  SIO P-Mag Lab

• Magnetic Measurements Super Cooled Thermal Demagnetiser
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Magnetic Measurements Variable Field Translation Balance (MMVFTB)
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• Thermal Demagnetizer
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

• “Tristan” 14 GHz microwave palaeointensity system with low-temperature SQUID magnetometer
  Liverpool-Geomagnetism

Software

• Magnetics Information Consortium (MagIC)
  A paleo- and rock-magnetic portal and database for archiving, searching, and downloading published datasets

• PmagPy
  Python software for organizing and interpreting paleomagnetic measurements

Resources:

• Essentials of Paleomagnetism by Lisa Tauxe
  A freely available (for educational purposes) online textbook.

Frequently Asked Questions: