Intermediate magnetite formation during dehydration of goethite

The dehydration of goethite has been studied by low-temperature induced magnetization (LTIM) and X-ray diffraction on well-characterized acicular crystals. Fresh samples were heated in air to temperatures between 155°C and 610°C. Goethite and hematite were the magnetically dominant phases after all runs except 500°C and 610°C, for which only hematite was found. However, partially dehydrated goethites after the 238–402°C runs had broad peaks or inflections in the LTIM curves around 120 K, suggesting the formation of an intermediate spinel phase. These samples were next given a saturation remanence in a field of 2 T at 10 K and the remanence was measured continuously during zero-field warming to 300 K. There was a decrease in remanence at the Verwey transition (120 K), diagnostic of magnetite. The possible formation of a small amount of magnetite is of serious concern in studies of goethite-bearing sediments and rocks. Chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) of this strongly magnetic spinel phase could significantly modify the direction as well as the intensity of the original goethite CRM. As well, it would be a new source of paleomagnetic noise as far as primary remanence carried by other mineral phases is concerned.