Institute of Earth Sciences heiMAG Laboratory for Earth Magnetism
The heiMAG Laboratory for Earth Magnetism is a state-of-the-art facility for paleomagnetic and rock magnetic research at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University. The laboratory supports a broad range of studies in paleomagnetism, environmental magnetism, rock magnetism, and archaeomagnetism, with instrumentation designed for both unconsolidated sediments and hard rock samples.
The facility is equipped for high-precision magnetic measurements at room temperature as well as high-temperature experiments up to 800 °C. Its instrumentation supports the complete paleomagnetic workflow, including sample preparation, alternating field and thermal demagnetization, remanence measurements, magnetic susceptibility analyses, and rock magnetic characterization. A dedicated magnetically shielded room provides an ultra-low magnetic field environment (20 nT) for highly sensitive remanence measurements using a superconducting rock magnetometer.
Designed to support both routine analyses and advanced research applications, the laboratory provides the capabilities needed to investigate Earth's magnetic field history, tectonic processes, environmental and climate records, volcanic and sedimentary archives, and the magnetic properties of natural materials. The facility serves researchers within Heidelberg University as well as national and international collaborators.
Laboratory Equipment
Field and Sample Preparation Equipment
The heiMAG lab and Geodynamics research group is fully equipped for field sampling and sample preparation.
- SM-30 Magnetic Susceptibility Meter: Battery powered meter for field work.
- STIHL MS-262 Corer: A 2-stroke corer with cooling water dewar, associated fittings, and accessories.
- Makita Electric Drill: Cordless drill with spare rechargeable batteries adapted for coring.
- Pomerory Core Orientation Fixture: Used for accurately determining core dip and azimuth, both with a Brunton or sun compass.
- Coring Bits: Various diamond-encrusted coring bits.
- Magnetically Shielded Field Sample Case: Mu-metal magnetically shielded case protected inside of a flight case.
- ASC Dual Blade Rock Saw: Dual blade wet saw for cutting paleomagnetic samples.
"Terms such as continental drift, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonics are understood even by nongeologists to reflect the mobility of the Earth’s lithospheric plates. The revolution in the Earth sciences that took place in the 1960s has changed our view of the Earth. The former view was that of a fairly static planet with occasional mountain-building episodes of uncertain origin. Our current view is that of a dynamic system of continental and oceanic lithospheric plates with frequently changing relative motions that are largely responsible for the structural evolution of the Earth. Paleomagnetism provided some of the quantitative data about past locations of continents and oceanic plates; these observations have become cornerstones of plate tectonic theory. Today paleomagnetism is providing evidence about motion histories of suspect terranes with respect to continental interiors and is enlightening the processes by which continents grow and mountain belts form. In addition, paleomagnetism has provided major refinement of stratigraphic correlations and geochronologic calibrations of both marine and nonmarine fossil zonations. These geochronologic advances have major implications for patterns and rates of biological evolution.”
Dr. Robert F. Butler, Paleomagnetism: Magnetic Domains to Geologic Terranes