21. PALEOMAGNETISM OF THE CRETACEOUS/TERTIARY BOUNDARY, DEEP SEA DRILLING PROJECT LEG 77, SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

At DSDP Sites 536 and 538 in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, rocks from near the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary were recovered. The Danian/Maestrichtian samples from Site 536 were stepwise demagnetized in alternating fields up to 400 Oe. Two distinct components of magnetization could be identified, neither of which displays a reversal pattern compatible with the age of the samples. Samples from the Danian section at Site 538 were subjected to a combination of alternating field and thermal demagnetization. Although several reversals are observed, a unique correlation with the magnetic time scale is not possible until the paleontology of the section is better defined.