Archaeomagnetic data are fundamental for our understanding of the evolution of Earth's magnetic field on centennial to millennial timescales. From the earliest studies of the Thelliers, Aitken, ...Nagata and others in the 1950s and 1960s, archaeomagnetic data have been vital for extending our knowledge of the field to times prior to observational measurements. Today, many thousands of archaeomagnetic data allow us to explore the geomagnetic field in more detail than ever before. Both regional time series of archaeomagnetic data and the inclusion of archaeomagnetic data in time-varying global spherical harmonic field models have revealed a range of newly discovered field behaviour. More sophisticated approaches to developing regional curves and global models have allowed us to resolve the field in certain regions more robustly and with greater resolution than previously possible. In this review we give an overview of the widely used global archaeomagnetic database GEOMAGIA50, discuss the methods used to obtain archaeomagnetic data, their challenges, and explore progress over the past twenty years in developing regional secular variation curves and global spherical harmonic models of the archaeomagnetic field. We end the review by covering what we see as the “grand challenges” in archaeomagnetism, including which regions of the world should be focussed on with regards to data acquisition.
•Review of all global archaeomagnetic data.•Overview of different types of data and their number.•Discussion on archaeomagnetic and dating methods.•verview of geomagnetic field models for the Holocene.•Future challenges for archaeomagnetism.
Background
GEOMAGIA50.v3 is a comprehensive online database providing access to published paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and chronological data from a variety of materials that record Earth’s magnetic ...field over the past 50 ka.
Findings
Since its original release in 2006, the structure and function of the database have been updated and a significant number of data have been added. Notable modifications are the following: (1) the inclusion of additional intensity, directional and metadata from archeological and volcanic materials and an improved documentation of radiocarbon dates; (2) a new data model to accommodate paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and chronological data from lake and marine sediments; (3) a refinement of the geographic constraints in the archeomagnetic/volcanic query allowing selection of particular locations; (4) more flexible methodological and statistical constraints in the archeomagnetic/volcanic query; (5) the calculation of predictions of the Holocene geomagnetic field from a series of time varying global field models; (6) searchable reference lists; and (7) an updated web interface. This paper describes general modifications to the database and specific aspects of the archeomagnetic and volcanic database. The reader is referred to a companion publication for a description of the sediment database.
Conclusions
The archeomagnetic and volcanic part of GEOMAGIA50.v3 currently contains 14,645 data (declination, inclination, and paleointensity) from 461 studies published between 1959 and 2014. We review the paleomagnetic methods used to obtain these data and discuss applications of the data within the database. The database continues to expand as legacy data are added and new studies published. The web-based interface can be found at
http://geomagia.gfz-potsdam.de
.
Aim
There is a requirement of an expansive and up to date review of surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can dovetail with the medical guidelines produced by the British ...Society of Gastroenterology.
Methods
Surgeons who are members of the ACPGBI with a recognised interest in IBD were invited to contribute various sections of the guidelines. They were directed to produce a procedure based document using literature searches that were systematic, comprehensible, transparent and reproducible. Levels of evidence were graded. An editorial board was convened to ensure consistency of style, presentation and quality. Each author was asked to provide a set of recommendations which were evidence based and unambiguous. These recommendations were submitted to the whole guideline group and scored. They were then refined and submitted to a second vote. Only those that achieved >80% consensus at level 5 (strongly agree) or level 4 (agree) after 2 votes were included in the guidelines.
Results
All aspects of surgical care for IBD have been included along with 157 recommendations for management.
Conclusion
These guidelines provide an up to date and evidence based summary of the current surgical knowledge in the management of IBD and will serve as a useful practical text for clinicians performing this type of surgery.
Data-based global paleomagnetic field models provide a more complete view of geomagnetic excursions than individual records. They allow the temporal and spatial field evolution to be mapped globally, ...and facilitate investigation of dipole and non-dipole field components. We have developed a suite of spherical harmonic (SH) field models that span 50–30 ka and include the Laschamp (~41 ka) and Mono Lake (~33 ka) excursions. Paleomagnetic field models depend heavily on the data used in their construction. Variations in paleomagnetic sediment records from the same region are in some cases inconsistent. To test the influence of data selection and reliance on age models, we have built a series of SH models based upon different data sets. A number of excursion characteristics are robust in all models, despite some differences in energy distribution among SH coefficients. Quantities, such as field morphology at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) or individual SH degree power variations should be interpreted with caution. All models suggest that the excursion process during the Laschamp is mainly governed by axial dipole decay and recovery, without a significant influence from the equatorial dipole or non-dipole fields. The axial dipole component reduces to almost zero, but does not reverse. This results in excursional field behavior seen globally, but non-uniformly at Earth's surface. The Mono Lake excursion may be a series of excursions occurring between 36 and 30 ka rather than a single excursion. In contrast to the Laschamp, these excursions appear driven by smaller decreases in axial dipole field strength during a time when the axial dipole power at the CMB is similar to the power in the non-dipole field. We suggest three phases for the 50 to 30 ka period: (1) a broadly stable phase dominated by the axial dipole (50–43 ka); (2) the Laschamp excursion, with the underlying excursion process lasting ~5 ka (43–38 ka) and the surface field expression lasting ~2 ka (42–40 ka); (3) a weak phase during which axial dipole and non-dipole power at the CMB are comparable, leading to more than one excursion between 36 and 30 ka.
The aperiodic nature of geomagnetic field variations, both in intensity and direction, can aid in dating archaeological artefacts, volcanic rocks, and sediment records that carry a palaeomagnetic ...signal. The success of palaeomagnetic dating relies upon our knowledge of past field variations at specific locations. Regional archaeo- and palaeomagnetic reference curves and predictions from global geomagnetic field models provide our best description of field variations through the Holocene. State-of-the-art palaeomagnetic laboratory practices and accurate independent age controls are prerequisites for deriving reliable reference curves and models from archaeological, volcanic, and sedimentary palaeomagnetic data. In this review paper we give an overview of these prerequisites and the available reference curves and models, discuss techniques for palaeomagnetic dating, and outline its limitations. In particular, palaeomagnetic dating on its own cannot give unique results, but rather serves to refine or confirm ages obtained by other methods. Owing to the non-uniform character of magnetic field variations in different regions, care is required when choosing a palaeomagnetic dating curve, so that the distance between the dating curve and the record to be dated is not too large. Accurate reporting and incorporation of new, independently dated archaeo- and palaeomagnetic results into databases will help to improve reference curves and global models for all regions on Earth.
Background
GEOMAGIA50.v3 for sediments is a comprehensive online database providing access to published paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and chronological data obtained from lake and marine sediments ...deposited over the past 50 ka. Its objective is to catalogue data that will improve our understanding of changes in the geomagnetic field, physical environments, and climate.
Findings
GEOMAGIA50.v3 for sediments builds upon the structure of the pre-existing GEOMAGIA50 database for magnetic data from archeological and volcanic materials. A strong emphasis has been placed on the storage of geochronological data, and it is the first magnetic archive that includes comprehensive radiocarbon age data from sediments. The database will be updated as new sediment data become available.
Conclusions
The web-based interface for the sediment database is located at
http://geomagia.gfz-potsdam.de/geomagiav3/SDquery.php
. This paper is a companion to Brown et al. (Earth Planets Space doi:10.1186/s40623-015-0232-0, 2015) and describes the data types, structure, and functionality of the sediment database.
A direct-fed microbial (DFM) based on a combination of Bacillus organisms specifically selected to increase the manure decomposition process was evaluated to determine its efficacy for improving ...growth performance and manure dissolution time. Three experiments involving 336 crossbred barrows and gilts were conducted to determine the effect of the Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial on growth performance and pen cleaning time. In each experiment, 2 dietary treatments (0 and 0.05% DFM) were fed during the growing-finishing period throughout the experiment, such that the DFM provided 1.47 x 10⁸ cfu of Bacillus organisms per gram of supplement. Data from the 3 experiments were combined for analysis, such that there were 28 pens representing each of the 2 treatments. Pigs were weighed and feed intake was determined at the initiation and termination of each phase (starter, grower, and finisher). At the end of Exp. 1 and 3, pen cleaning time was determined by measuring the time required for each pen to be scraped and washed with a high-pressure sprayer. Additionally, 2 solid manure mat samples weighing approximately 4 g each were collected from solid manure buildup in each pen (16 pens/treatment), and the time required to completely disperse each manure mat sample was determined. Gain:feed improved (P < 0.05) in pigs fed Bacillus compared with the control diet during the finisher phase and throughout the combined growing-finishing period. The time required to dissolve the manure mat was reduced (P < 0.01) in samples collected from pens containing pigs fed Bacillus compared with samples from control pens. An additional evaluation was conducted in a commercial swine production facility using statistical process control analysis. Statistical process control analysis determined that supplementation with Bacillus increased the expected mean for ADG and decreased the expected mean for death loss percentage. Supplementation with a DFM composed of specifically selected Bacillus organisms improved G:F and decreased the time required to disperse a swine manure mat sample in a controlled study conducted at swine research facilities. Furthermore, when evaluated in a commercial swine production facility, the Bacillus-based DFM improved ADG and reduced mortality of pigs during the growing-finishing period.
The extensive lava piles of Iceland contain a unique record of geomagnetic field variations spanning the past ~ 16 Ma. Since the 1950s, palaeomagnetic data have been obtained from over 9400 Icelandic ...lavas. We have compiled all palaeomagnetic data currently available and developed a publicly accessible database (
http://www.icepmag.org
). The data within the database are primarily palaeodirections, with a relatively smaller number of palaeointensity data (8936 entries contain direction only, 218 intensity only, and 337 both direction and intensity). In addition, the database contains a wide range of metadata, including geochronological information, site details, and laboratory methods. The search interface of the database allows users to search for data using a range of customisable filters (e.g. by publication, geological age, location, laboratory method, palaeomagnetic statistics) and to quickly visualise and download the matching search results. The data within the database have significant potential for understanding long-term palaeomagnetic field variations at high latitude, the behaviour of excursions and reversals, and geological mapping on Iceland.