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[ link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)] A lodestone is a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite.[1][2] They are naturally occurring magnets, which can attract iron. The property of magnetism was first discovered in antiquity through lodestones.[3] Pieces of lodestone, suspended so they could turn, were the first magnetic compasses,[3][4][5][6] and their importance to early navigation is indicated by the name lodestone, which in Middle English means 'course stone' or 'leading stone',[7] from the now-obsolete meaning of lode as ‘journey, way’.[8]
Lodestone is one of the few minerals that is found naturally magnetized.[1]
The other question is how lodestones get magnetized. The Earth's magnetic field at 0.5 gauss is too weak to magnetize a lodestone by itself.[9][10] The leading theory is that lodestones are magnetized by the strong magnetic fields surrounding lightning bolts.[9][10][11] This is supported by the observation that they are mostly found near the surface of the Earth, rather than buried at great depth.[10]
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