An absolute palaeointensity record from SOH1 lava core, Hawaii using the microwave technique

Absolute palaeointensity results were obtained from 392 samples (166 of 241 flows) from the upper 779 m of the Scientific Observation Hole 1 (SOH1) basalt core, Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, using the microwave palaeointensity technique. Based on K–Ar dates and a previously published age model, this covers the last 45 ka thus giving a high-resolution record of geomagnetic intensity in Hawaii. Comparisons with other Hawaiian absolute palaeointensity data show similar trend of higher intensity than present day for the last 3 ka and then a general decrease in intensity over the last 45 ka, though this study reports consistently lower palaeointensity values. Direct comparison with previous Thellier data from the SOH1 core shows some discrepancies between the two methods, with the Thellier data yielding generally higher palaeointensity estimates than the microwave data. In view of these discrepancies between the two methods, the introduction of raw palaeointensity data into the public domain is suggested.