Ultrahigh-resolution paleomagnetic record from ODP Leg 169S, Saanich Inlet, British Columbia: initial results K.L. Verosub a, * , A.H. Harris a , R. Karlin b a Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA b Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA Received 23 May 1999; accepted 15 October 1999 Abstract The Holocene section in Saanich Inlet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is 50±70 m thick. Cores from Saanich Inlet obtained during Leg 169S of the Ocean Drilling Program afford an excellent opportunity to obtain an ultrahigh-resolution paleomagnetic and environmental magnetic record for the Holocene and Late Pleistocene of western Canada. We have used an automated, long-core cryogenic magnetometer to study over 380 m of continuous u-channel samples from ODP Sites 1033 and 1034, the two sites that constitute Leg 169S. Holocene records of paleomagnetic inclination and intensity show excellent intra- site correlation and can be used to ®ne-tune the lithologic correlation among cores from each site. The Late Pleistocene magnetic records provide a means of intra-site correlation of the otherwise featureless marine clay. Near the Holocene/Late Pleistocene boundary, both sites contain a magnetic intensity feature that is interpreted as a Missoula-type ¯ood event on the Fraser River. The composite Holocene inclination records from the two sites are quite similar and provide a means of comparing current age-models that are based on radiocarbon dating of material from each site. This comparison shows only minor differences in the available age-models. It also provides strong evidence that the sediments of Saanich Inlet represent a reliable record of geomagnetic ®eld behavior. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Holocene; Late Pleistocene; Paleomagnetism; Secular variation; British Columbia 1. Introduction The development of automated, long-core cryo- genic magnetometers that utilize the u-channel sampling technique makes it feasible to obtain contin- uous magnetic measurements from cored sedimentary sequences. The two sites in Saanich Inlet cored during Leg 169S of the Ocean Drilling Program ODP) provide an excellent opportunity to obtain ultrahigh- resolution paleomagnetic and mineral magnetic records for the Holocene and Late Pleistocene. In this paper, we discuss the paleomagnetic sampling and measurement procedures used to study Sites 1033 and 1034 from Leg 169S, the resulting compo- site records of inclination and remanent magnetic intensity, the cross-correlation of these records between the sites, and the comparison of age-models that results from this correlation. 2.Background Saanich Inlet is a marine embayment of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. At the mouth of this embay- ment is a bedrock sill that traps most of the sediment brought into the inlet by surface waters. As a result, Marine Geology 174 2001) 79±93 0025-3227/01/$ - see front matter q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0025-322700)00143-2 www.elsevier.nl/locate/margeo * Corresponding author.