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Book review |
The University of Birmingham, UK
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It is almost true that wherever magnetic minerals occur, and in whatever concentrations, they can be detected. Techniques originally developed for palaeomagnetism, and subsequently refined, can be used to characterize and quantify the magnetic minerals present in a sample with speed, economy and great sensitivity. The role of the environmental magnetist, it seems, is to seek continually to broaden the range of applications in which these methods can be used. This book provides a state-of-the-art summary of the field.
Beyond converted ‘enviromagnetists’, the potential audience for the book might include palaeomagnetists seeking to broaden their scope, palaeoclimatologists and biologists who have heard of magnetoclimatology and magnetobiology, geologists (here we approach most closely the journal readership) and physical geographers interested in the possible use of magnetic tracers, and ‘general readers’ (including students). All will want to know how magnetic measurements can impact on particular specialisms, some will require introduction to those specialisms; many will require a layman's introduction to magnetism, and magnetists will expect description of developments in instrumentation and approach.
The book is subtitled ‘Principles and Applications of Enviromagnetics’. ‘Principles’ are covered in chapters on Basic Magnetism, Enviromagnetic Minerals, Measurement and Techniques, Processes and Pathways, and Time. ‘Applications’ involve Magnetoclimatology and Past Global Change, Mass Transport, Magnetism in the Biosphere, Magnetic Monitoring of Pollution, and Archaeological [sic] and Early Hominid Environments. This illustrates well the structure and breadth of the book, though the division of material is not as clear-cut as the chapter headings might suggest. The book concludes, somewhat
