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Maurice Tivey studying the magnetic properties of rocks.

Maurice Tivey studying the magnetic properties of rocks.
Maurice Tivey studying the magnetic properties of rocks.
Maurice Tivey studying the magnetic properties of rocks.
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Maurice Tivey studying the magnetic properties of rocks.
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05/09/2008
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Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 52, No. 2, pg. 60:
Enter WHOI scientist Maurice Tivey, who towed a magnetometer near the lake floor to measure telltale magnetic properties of rocks. The data may reveal clues to chemical reactions near the lake floor and the formation of underlying lava flows deeper down.
Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 52, No. 1, pg. 52:
WHOI geologist Maurice Tivey.
Image Of the Day caption:
WHOI geologist Maurice Tivey has an unusual speciality: He studies the magnetic properties of rocks. When volcanic magma solidifies, magnetic crystals form in rocks and become oriented in the direction of Earth's prevailing magnetic field. Over the planets 4.5-billion-year history, this field has flip-flopped many times, with magnetic north and south reversing direction. These reversals are well-documented and so, by analyzing rocks magnetic properties, Tivey can date them and chronicle the geological processes in which they formed. He has used deep-sea vehicles to study seafloor crust and recently took part in an expedition to drill to the Moho, the boundary between Earth's mantle and crust.
Photo courtesy of Maurice Tivey
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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