33. Magnetic Logging and In-Situ Magnetostratigraphy: a Field Test1
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Greene, H.G., Collot, J.-Y., Stokking, L.B., et al., 1994 Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 134 33. MAGNETIC LOGGING AND IN-SITU MAGNETOSTRATIGRAPHY: A FIELD TEST1 P. Roperch,2 V. Barthès,3 J. Pocachard,3 J.-Y. Collot,2 and T. Chabernaud4 ABSTRACT During Ocean Drilling Program Leg 134 (Vanuatu), geological high sensitivity magnetic tools (GHMT) developed by CEA-LETI and TOTAL were used at two drill sites. GHMT combine two sensors, a proton magnetometer for total magnetic field measurements with an operational accuracy of 0.1 nanoteslas (nT), and a highly sensitive induction tool to measure the magnetic susceptibility with an operational accuracy of a few I0"6 S1 units. Hole 829 A was drilled through an accretionary prism and the downhole measurements of susceptibility correlate well with other well-log physical properties. Sharp susceptibility contrasts between chalk and volcanic silt sediment provide complementary data that help define the lithostratigraphic units. At Hole 83 IB magnetic susceptibility and total field measurements were performed through a 700-m reef carbonate sequence of a guyot deposited on top of an andesitic volcano. The downhole magnetic susceptibility is very low and the amplitude of peak-to-peak anomalies is less than a few 10~5 S1 units. Based on the repeatability of the measurements, the accuracy of the magnetic logging measurements was demonstrated to be excellent. Total magnetic field data at Hole 83IB reveal low magnetic anomalies of 0.5 to 5 nT and the measurement of a complete repeat section indicates an accuracy of 0.1 to 0.2 nT. Due to the inclination of the earth's magnetic field in this area (~-40°) and the very low magnetic susceptibility of the carbonate, the contribution of the induced magnetization to the total field measured in the hole is negligible. Unfortunately, because the core recovery was extremely poor (<5%) no detailed comparison between the core measurements and the downhole magnetic data could be made. Most samples have a diamagnetic susceptibility and very low intensity of remanent magnetization (< I0"4 A/m), but a few samples have a stable remanent magnetization up to 0.005 A/m. These variations of the intensity of the remanent magnetization suggest a very heterogeneous distribution of the magnetization in the carbonate sequence that could explain the magnetic field anomalies measured in these weakly magnetized rocks. INTRODUCTION 118 (Pariso et al., 1991) with a University of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey three-component magnetometer and susceptibility Magnetostratigraphic investigations of sedimentary and volcanic meter. These magnetic tools were developed to study volcanic base- sequences and studies of seafloor marine magnetic anomalies have ment rocks and are not suitable for use in weakly magnetized sedi- enabled the construction of a geomagnetic polarity reversal time scale ment. Advances in technology and the interest of the oil industry in that covers the last 165 m.y. (Cox, 1983; Berggren et al., 1985). logging that could constrain age and sedimentation rate have stimu- Magnetic measurements of core sediment recovered by the Deep Sea lated the development of borehole magnetic sensors that could deter- Drilling Project (DSDP) and the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) have mine an in-situ magnetostratigraphy in sediment. This paper focuses permitted magnetostratigraphy to become a powerful tool for be- on magnetic logging tools recently developed by CEA-LETI and tween-core correlations and absolute dating. Comparison of the ob- TOTAL (Pocachard et al., 1991) that were used during Leg 134. served pattern of magnetic reversals recorded by a sedimentary To determine the magnetostratigraphy the primary information section with the reference geomagnetic time scale provides strong that needs to be measured is the remanent magnetization of the rocks. constraints of biostratigraphic markers. However, the determination In a laboratory experiment it is easy to screen the earuYs present of magnetostratigraphy from core samples is a time-consuming labo- magnetic field and to measure the remanent magnetic field directly ratory procedure and depends upon core recovery. using a magnetometer. In contrast, magnetic field measurements in a Measurements of numerous physical and chemical properties of borehole include contributions from the earth's present magnetic rocks in the boreholes have played a major role in the mining and oil field, as well as the remanent magnetization field, and the induced industry. In contrast, the scientific community involved in the DSDP magnetization field. The main magnetic field that originates in the and ODP scientific research programs has until recently emphasized earth's core varies slowly (secular variation), and it can be considered the study of cores. Before Leg 134 magnetic logging experiments were a constant for the duration of the logging experiment (a few hours). conducted during DSDP and ODP legs only for volcanic units charac- In contrast, the field of external origin has diurnal variations with terized by strong magnetic anomalies. The first experiments were periods and amplitude that cannot be neglected during logging. conducted on DSDP Legs 68 and 69 by Ponomarev and Nechoroshkov Variations up to several tens of nanoteslas (nT) can be observed dur- (1983) and later on DSDP Leg 78 (Ponomarev and Nechoroshkov, ing stormy magnetic periods. The magnetic anomalies expected in a 1984). A gyroscope-oriented three-axis borehole magnetometer and a borehole depend on the variations of the natural remanent magneti- susceptibility tool were used in mid-Cretaceous basalts at Hole 418 A zation vector of the rocks as well as the susceptibility contrasts (ODP Leg 102; Bosum and Scott, 1988). More recently, the in-situ between sediment layers. Magnetic anomalies of a few hundred of magnetic properties of a gabbro were investigated during ODP Leg nanoteslas are expected in volcanic rocks with magnetization on the order of 1 A/m, whereas sediments with magnetization of about 10~3 A/m would produce magnetic anomalies from a few I0"1 nT to 1 nT. Deep-sea sediments have remanent magnetizations of I0"3 to I0"2 Greene, H.G., Collot, J.-Y., Stokking, L.B., et al., 1994. Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 134: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program). A/m whereas limestones carry lower magnetizations. Thus, magne- 1 2 ORSTOM, BP 48, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. tometers with a sensitivity of I0" nT are required for conducting 3 CEA-LETI, Centre cTEtudesNucléaires de Grenoble, 85X - 38041 Grenoble, France. downhole magnetic logging in sediment. 4 Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Univer- sity, Palisades, NY 10964, U.S.A. An accurate retrieval of the direction of the remanent magnetiza- tion vector from borehole measurements requires the record of the 577 P. ROPERCH ET AL. three components of the field (Parker and Daniell, 1979; Gallet and neers (Pocachard et al., 1991). The generic name of the total field Courtillot, 1988). Pozzi et al. (1988) have shown numerical models magnetometer is nuclear resonance magnetic tool (NRMT); the sus- of the expected magnetic field components in a hole drilled through ceptibility magnetic tool is SUMT. These instruments are packaged horizontal layers, and Gallet and Courtillot (1988) extended the according to Schlumberger standards, and data are recorded every calculations to homogeneous dipping layers. The numerical model of 6 in. in accordance with Schlumberger procedures. a magnetic anomaly across a polarity transition indicates that a The SUMT is a low-frequency induction tool. The volume meas- polarity chron thicker than 3 times the borehole diameter will be fully ured is a cylinder approximately 0.5 m in radius and 1.5 m in length. resolved at the 95% confidence level. Amultisensor probe that would The susceptibility tool provides information about the electrical con- provide the three components of the magnetic field as well as the ductivity. We used this information to match the depth from the other horizontal gradients across the borehole would be a very powerful Schlumberger resistivity tools. Before the data processing, the output tool. However, directional fluxgate sensors have an accuracy no better of the SUMT has an offset of about -2500 ppm. The data processing than 1 nT and are sensitive to temperature changes. Another problem consists mostly in removing a drift linked to temperature changes. is the accuracy in the orientation of the magnetometers. For example, The zero value that corresponds to the transition from paramagnetism in a total field of 50,000 nT an accuracy of less than 1 nT on each to diamagnetism is estimated at a given temperature. The transfer rate component would require an orientation with an accuracy of 0.001°. from ppm to S1 units is about 1 ppm to I0"6 S1. Augustin (1990) These limits in directional magnetometers and in orientation of the compared core measurements with SUMT results from drill holes in tools have led the CEA-LETI and TOTAL groups to develop a total the Bassin de Paris and showed that SUMT variations are linearly magnetic field magnetometer with high resolution. The high-resolu- related to susceptibility contrasts. The NRMT consists of a Over- tion records provide valuable information from which qualitative hauser proton magnetometer with a peak-to-peak measurement noise interpretations can be attempted, assuming that the magnetization better than 0.1 nT. vector is homogeneous within a single layer of infinite extent (Tab- bagh et al., 1990; Pozzi et al., unpubl. data). MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY LOGGING (SITE 829) Assuming a simple model of infinite homogeneous layers, a simple relationship exists between the direction of the magnetization The major lithostratigraphic units recovered during drilling at Site (Mx, My, Mz) and the resulting magnetic induction (Bx, By, Bz) at the 829 correspond to a Pleistocene clayey volcanic silt sequence from 0 center of a borehole, thus to 60.5 meters below seafloor (mbsf) above a foraminiferal chalk of late Oligocene age from 60.5 to 99.4 mbsf.