Utility of magnetic susceptibility values for the petrographic analysis of weathering crust basement samples

Abstract

This article exposes the resolving power of the magnetic susceptibility measurements in basement minerals samples of the lateritic weathering profile as an element of complementary analysis in the petrographic characterization of the rocks, and useful in the mapping of the magnetic heterogeneities of the basement. The comparison of the magnetic susceptibility data with the petrographic data of different samples revealed that even in samples that correspond to homogeneous lithotypes, great heterogeneities and differences can be manifested from the physical-mineralogical point of view. In general, a high concordance was observed between the intensity of the weathering processes in the rock samples, and the values of the magnetic susceptibility of such samples. The results support the possibility of extrapolating the composition information to samples with magnetic susceptibility measurements and without petrographic studies.

Keywords

• susceptibilidad magnética
• cortezas de intemperismo
• lateritas
• Cuba oriental