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Hand magnets and the destruction of ancient meteorite magnetism
  • Foteini Vervelidou,
  • Benjamin P Weiss
Foteini Vervelidou
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Benjamin P Weiss
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Abstract

The paleomagnetic record of meteorites provides invaluable information about planetary formation and evolution. Yet, the potential of these magnetic records in advancing the field of planetary science is severely hindered by a widely used identification technique: application of hand magnets. Here we showcase the destructive effects of touching meteorites with magnets as exemplified by the oldest known Martian meteorite, the Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 pairing group. We recommend that magnets not be applied to meteorites during collection and curation. Instead, a low-field susceptibility meter is a far more sensitive and completely nondestructive tool for meteorite classification.