Remanence acquisition in red beds from the Coal Measures of Central England

The magnetic mineralogy, palaeomagnetism, and magnetic fabric of a Carboniferous mudstone-dominated red bed sequence and associated sandstones are described. Natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is carried by hematite both as coarse particles and as pigment; magnetite and goethite also contribute to the NRM of some mudstones, but only hematite accounts for the NRM of red sandstones. Studies were made using rock magnetic measurements, XRD and ⁵⁷Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. A primary style magnetic fabric seems related to the deposition of hematite particles in both sandstones and mudstones. The reddening is associated with areas of better drainage and is related to complex palaeosols in the mudstones which indicates that it, and the magnetization, must have occurred about the same time as the sediment deposition. -R.E.S.