LOWER PLIOCENE POLARITY TRANSITIONS FROM THE SUVA-MARL, FIJI

We present a paleomagnetic record of the lower Cochiti polarity transi tion and new results from the lower and upper Nunivak transitions obta ined from the Lower Pliocene Suva Marl (Fiji, (18 degrees S, 178 degre es E)). This formation has yielded a well-defined magnetostratigraphy that, combined with Ar-40/Ar-39 ages from interbedded tuff beds, provi des excellent chronostratigraphic control [Clement et al, 1997]. We pr eviously presented the upper Cochiti and the upper and lower Nunivak p olarity transition records from this unit [Clement et al., 1995, 1996] . New results were obtained from oriented block samples spanning these reversals. Each of these reversals was sampled at duplicate sections separated by 4 to 8 km. The agreement between the records obtained fro m different sections suggests that the paleomagnetic records are not a rtifacts of local sedimentary disturbances or random degrees of incomp letely removed overprints. Instead the similarities in these and other records of these same reversals from different types of paleomagnetic recorders suggest that they provide information about the behavior of the geomagnetic field as it reverses.