Abstract
This paper is a review of studies which, by applying the magnetotelluric, geomagnetic deep sounding, and magnetovariational sounding methods (the latter refers to usage of the horizontal magnetic tensor), investigate Central Europe for zones of enhanced electrical conductivity. The study areas comprise the region of the Trans-European Suture Zone (i.e. the south Baltic region and Poland), the North German Basin, the German and Czech Variscides, the Pannonian Basin (Hungary), and the Polish, Slovakian, Ukrainian, and Romanian Carpathians. This part of the world is well investigated in terms of data coverage and of the density of published studies, whereas the certainty that the results lead to comprehensive interpretations varies within the reviewed literature. A comparison of spatially coincident or adjacent studies reveals the important role that the data coverage of a distinct conductivity anomaly plays for the consistency of results. The encountered conductivity anomalies are understood as linked to basin sediments, asthenospheric upwelling, large differences in lithospheric age, and—this concerns most of them, which all concentrate in the middle crust—tectonic boundaries that developed during all mountain building phases that have taken place on the continent.
Highlights
Central Europe is a relatively small region geologically, geographically, and tectonically on a global scale
Taking into account that first, crustal and lithospheric-scale electrical conductivity anomalies are mainly results of magnetotellurics, a passive sounding method that suffers from man-made electromagnetic noise, and second, its targets are often linked to active tectonics due to its sensitivity to high rock temperature and partial melting, it would appear not very likely that anything interesting can be told under the title of this review
Central Europe consists of four main tectonic units, which are named after the mountain building phases when the underlying rocks were subjected to tectonic deformation for the last time
Summary
Central Europe is a relatively small region geologically, geographically, and tectonically on a global scale. Very few regions of Central Europe are white spots on the map in the sense that they have never experienced a magnetotelluric measurement, and these few are not large in geographical size This certainly does not mean that there does not remain future work or open questions but, that the scientific output about this area in the domain of conductivity anomalies is considerable. To define the scope of this work, it is necessary to consider the term ‘‘conductivity anomaly’’ This term is frequently used among practitioners of the electromagnetic induction methods in the sense that ‘‘conductivity’’ refers to enhanced electric conductivity values and ‘‘anomaly’’ describes a locally or regionally limited phenomenon, which is distinguishable from some ‘‘normal’’, one-dimensional surrounding (where the ‘‘normal’’ structure on both sides of an anomaly may be different, Schmucker 1970a). This paper is organised according to the main tectonic units of Central Europe such that one section is dedicated to studies on each the Precambrian-Caledonian, the Variscan, and the Alpine basement, preceded by an overview of these units
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