AbstractMineral magnetic methods of characterising glacial diamicts and their associated sediments are applied to deposits within the Manx Quaternary sequence. The possible advantages of these techniques over more traditional methods of sediment characterisation are outlined, and the results obtained in a pilot study are examined. Results show that both distinctions and similarities exist within the magnetic mineral assemblages of the four diamict units studied. The possible implications of these results for interpreting the Late Quaternary history of the Isle of Man and the future potential of the techniques are briefly discussed.