How to Download, Install, and Configure PuffinPlot for Beginners

PuffinPlot is a free, cross-platform Java desktop application developed by Pontus Lurcock for analyzing and plotting paleomagnetic data. It supports both discrete samples (e.g., 25mm rock cylinders) and continuous long-core sediment data.

A standard step-by-step data analysis workflow using PuffinPlot relies on its hierarchical data structure—Suite (entire study/core), Site (geographic spot/depth range), and Sample (individual physical rock unit). Step-by-Step Paleomagnetic Data Analysis Workflow Step 1: Open and Import Your Data Load the file: Select File > Open File from the main menu.

Format support: PuffinPlot natively parses data from 2G Enterprises magnetometers, Steve Hurst’s Zplot format, or custom text-based data spreadsheets using its Custom Import engine. Step 2: Navigate and Visualize the Layout

Review plots: The main dashboard populates your dataset visually across standard paleomagnetic displays.

Select layout: You can customize or cycle through plots like Zijderveld (orthogonal component vector diagrams), Lambert equal-area stereonets, demagnetization/intensity biplots, and natural remanent magnetization (NRM) intensity histograms. Step 3: Define Sites and Filter Points

Isolate outliers: Manually uncheck or hide noisy data points, or apply the “Hide Points” feature.

Group data: For long core sediments, use the Set Sites by Depth tool to chunk continuous core sections into discrete stratigraphic intervals (e.g., 5 cm slices). Step 4: Component Analysis and Curve Fitting

Isolate magnetic vectors: Select a sequence of stepwise demagnetization points on an individual sample.

Fit lines/circles: Perform Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to find linear paths to the origin, or select Fit Great Circle for complex, overlapping magnetic components. Use the displayed Maximum Angle of Deviation (MAD) value to gauge your fit quality.

Batch processing: To avoid repetitive manual tasks, use Copy Point Selection and paste those treatment steps across the whole data suite to let PuffinPlot fit vectors for all samples simultaneously. Step 5: Advanced Core Reconstruction (For Core Data)