Lateral lithospheric conductivity patterns, from European synchronous observatory data

Abstract

Much information on the regional lithospheric structure may come from MTS data acquired by synchronous 2D arrays and processed with regard to the nonlocal response of a laterally inhomogeneous subsurface. We suggest to invert the nonlocal MT responses applying correlation of all surface horizontal and vertical components of the geomagnetic field recorded simultaneously at all stations. The inversion algorithm has been applied to 2004–2005 European observatory data of diurnal S q variations for first five harmonics and yielded lateral conductivity patterns for different periods. The maps show spatial correlation between conductivity maxima and lithospheric thickness minima and, specifically, highlight the contours of the Pannonian basin, where lithosphere is as thin as ∼50 km, from seismic data.