Iron is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust and, in combination with oxygen and sulphur, forms magnetic minerals that are omnipresent in our environment. Environmental processes control the type, size and shape of magnetic minerals. Measurements of magnetic properties can therefore be used to characterise the environment, e.g:

• Reconstructions of the climate of the past (past global change)
• Pollution monitoring (atmospheric, soil, aquatic)
• Characterisation of ecosystems (lakes, magnetic bacteria, soils)
• Characterisation of archaeological environments
• Lithostratigraphy of geological sequences