Abstract
Abstract In this research, we present a local Moho model, named MOHV19, including Moho depth and Moho density contrast (or shortly Moho constituents) with corresponding uncertainties, which are mapped from altimetric and gravimetric data (DSNSC08) in addition to seismic tomographic (CRUST1.0) and Earth topographic data (Earth2014) to a resolution of 1° × 1° based on a solution of Vening Meinesz-Moritz’ theory of isostasy. The MOHV19 model covers the area of entire European plate along with the surrounding oceans, bounded by latitudes (30 °N–82 °N) and longitudes (40 °W–70 °E). The article aims to interpret the Moho model resulted via altimetric and gravimetric information from the geological and geophysical perspectives along with investigating the relation between the Moho depth and Moho density contrast. Our numerical results show that estimated Moho depths range from 7.5 to 57.9 km with continental and oceanic averages of 41.3 ± 4.9 km and 21.6 ± 9.2 km, respectively, and an overall average of 30.9 ± 12.3 km. The estimated Moho density contrast ranges from 60.2 to 565.8 kg/m3, with averages of 421.8 ± 57.9 and 284.4 ± 62.9 kg/m3 for continental and oceanic regions, respectively, with a total average of 350.3 ± 91.5 kg/m3. In most areas, estimated uncertainties in the Moho constituents are less than 3 km and 40 kg/m3, respectively, but they reach to much more significant values under Iceland, parts of Gulf of Bothnia and along the Kvitoya Island. Comparing the Moho depths estimated by MOHV19 and those derived by CRUST1.0, MDN07, GRAD09 and MD19 models shows that MOHV19 agree fairly well with CRUST1.0 but rather poor with other models. The RMS difference between the Moho density contrasts estimated by MOHV19 and CRUST1.0 models is 49.45 kg/m3.
Highlights
The Moho discontinuity is an interface, which marks the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle
In this research, we present a local Moho model, named MOHV19, including Moho depth and Moho density contrast with corresponding uncertainties, which are mapped from altimetric and gravimetric data (DSNSC08) in addition to seismic tomographic (CRUST1.0) and Earth topographic data (Earth2014) to a resolution of 1° × 1° based on a solution of Vening Meinesz-Moritz’ theory of isostasy
We have derived a solution to Vening Meinesz–Moritz inverse problem for the Moho Density Contrast (MDC) as well as for the Moho depth (MD) beneath Europe and surrounding oceans with a resolution of 1° × 1° by using the DSNSC08 gravity disturbance data set, the Earth2014 solid Earth topographic and CRUST1.0 crustal models
Summary
The Moho discontinuity (or Moho) is an interface, which marks the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle. Due to the limited coverage of seismic profiles, related with economic considerations, recovering Moho by seismic data is not merely offered, highlighting the need for using gravimetric data, jointly with other geophysical data It is the main purpose of this article to investigate an isostatic model based on Vening Meinesz-Moritz (VMM) hypothesis (see section) with respect to its feasibility to use in recovering the MD and MDC, for Europe and surroundings. The paper presents a new Moho model, called MOHV19, based on free-air gravity disturbances from the DSNSC08 model including both the altimetric and gravimetric data [7], which are corrected for the gravitational contributions of mass density variation between different layers of the Earth’s crust The VMM problem is altered by assuming that the MD is known and the MDC is the sought constituent (see Sjöberg [36, 37])
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