GeoArchMag · Beyond the Holocene Geomagnetic field resolution

For decades the Holocene has been considered a flat and “boring” epoch from the standpoint ofpaleomagnetism, mainly due to insufficient resolution of the available paleomagnetic data. However, recentarchaeomagnetic data have revealed that the Holocene geomagnetic field is anything but stable – presentingpuzzling intervals of extreme decadal-scale fluctuations and unexpected departures from a simple dipolar fieldstructure. This new information introduced an entirely new paradigm to the study of the geomagnetic field andto a wide range of research areas relying on paleomagnetic data, such as geochronology, climate research, andgeodynamo exploration.This proposal aims at breaking the resolution limits in paleomagnetism, and providing a continuoustime series of the geomagnetic field vector throughout the Holocene at decadal resolution andunprecedented accuracy. To this end I will use an innovative assemblage of data sources, jointly unique tothe Levant, including rare archaeological finds, annual laminated stalagmites, varved sediments, and aridplaya deposits. Together, these sources can provide unprecedented yearly resolution, whereby the “absolute”archaeomagnetic data can calibrate “relative” terrestrial data.The geomagnetic data will define an innovative absolute geomagnetic chronology that will be used tosynchronize cosmogenic 10Be data and an extensive body of paleo-climatic indicators. With these in hand, Iwill address four ground-breaking problems:I) Chronology: Developing dating technique for resolving critical controversies in Levantine archaeology andQuaternary geology.II) Geophysics: Exploring fine-scale geodynamo features in Earth’s core from new generations of globalgeomagnetic models.III) Cosmogenics: Correlating fast geomagnetic variations with cosmogenic isotope production rate.IV) Climate: Testing one of the most challenging controversial questions in geomagnetism: “Does the Earth'smagnetic field play a role in climate changes?”