Magnetic fossils are microscopic accumulations in sedimentary rocks of such bacterial nanoparticles
There are fossils found in ancient seassediments: they consist of no more than a few magnetic nanoparticles that can tell us a lot about past climates, especially episodes of abrupt global warming.
Now researchers have found a way to glean valuable information from these fossils without having to grind the scant samples into a fine powder.
The authors have developed a new way to detect"Giant" magnetic fossils in the rock without destroying the samples, keeping the latter for other types of analyzes. The method, which they called FORC (first order reversal curve), is to find magnetic signatures of ancient fossils using high-resolution magnetic measurements.
Ability to quickly find giant clustersmagnetofossils in the geologic record will help determine the origins of these unusual magnetofossils. This is important because no living organism known today forms giant magnetofossils It is still unknown what organisms formed them in the past.
Research text
In addition, the information contained inMagnetofossils helps scientists understand how the oceans have responded to past climate change and how our current ocean might respond to ongoing warming.
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