The magnetic signature of stress in rocks
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Magnetic signatures preserved in rocks have long provided insight into Earth’s evolution, revealing processes from plate tectonics to the habitability of Earth. While large impacts are known to impose extreme stresses (>1 GPa) and heat that fundamentally alters magnetic records, lower stresses typical of earthquakes have been considered magnetically undetectable.
2We show that magnetic responses to sub-GPa stresses can be precisely calibrated, enabling three-dimensional paleostress reconstructions in rocks – even stresses of just a few MPa can fully reset magnetic signals without heat or deformation. This newly revealed magnetic
sensitivity to stress opens a powerful, non-destructive pathway to detecting paleostress fields in the elastic crust, offering new opportunities for improving seismic hazard assessment, interpreting impact processes, and re-evaluating magnetic records across Earth and Planetary sciences.
2We show that magnetic responses to sub-GPa stresses can be precisely calibrated, enabling three-dimensional paleostress reconstructions in rocks – even stresses of just a few MPa can fully reset magnetic signals without heat or deformation. This newly revealed magnetic
sensitivity to stress opens a powerful, non-destructive pathway to detecting paleostress fields in the elastic crust, offering new opportunities for improving seismic hazard assessment, interpreting impact processes, and re-evaluating magnetic records across Earth and Planetary sciences.
Date Issued
2026-02-16
Date Acceptance
2026-01-05
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2026, 53 (3)
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
53
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2026. The Author(s).This is an open access article under theterms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use,distribution and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original work isproperly cited.
License URL
Identifier
10.1029/2025GL119973
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2025GL119973
Date Publish Online
2026-02-05