  We report on magnetic measurements as a function of field, temperature and
time (relaxation) in superconducting Nb films of critical temperature Tc = 9.25
K. The magnetic measurements as a function of field exhibited a second
magnetization peak (SMP) which in general is accompanied by thermomagnetic
instabilities (TMIs). The lines where the SMP occurs and where the first flux
jump in the virgin magnetization curves is observed, end at a characteristic
point (To,Ho)=(7.2 K,80 Oe). Relaxation measurements showed that for T<To=7.2 K
the activation energy Uo and the normalized relaxation rate S exhibit
non-monotonic behavior as a function either of temperature or field. The
extrema observed in Uo and S coincide with the onset and the maximum points of
the SMP. In the regime T>To=7.2 K both Uo and S present a conventional
monotonic behavior. These results indicate that the SMP behavior observed in
our Nb films is promoted by the anomalous relaxation of the magnetization.
