A new Fennoscandian crustal thickness model based on CRUST1.0 and a gravimetric–isostatic approach.

In this paper a new gravimetric–isostatic crustal thickness model (VMM14_FEN) is estimated for Fennoscandia. The main motivation is to investigate the relations between geological and geophysical properties, the Moho depth and crust–mantle density contrast at the crust–mantle discontinuity. For this purpose the Bouguer gravity disturbance data is corrected in two main ways namely for the gravitational contributions of mass density variation due to the different layers of the Earth's crust such as ice and sediments, as well as for the gravitational contribution from deeper masses below the crust. This second correction (for non-isostatic effects) is necessary because in general the crust is not in complete isostatic equilibrium and the observed gravity data are not only generated by the topographic/isostatic masses but also from those in the deep Earth interior. The correction for non-isostatic effects is mainly attributed to unmodeled mantle and core boundary density heterogeneities. These corrections are determined using the recent seismic crustal thickness model CRUST1.0. We compare our modeling results with previous studies in the area and test the fitness. The comparison with the external Moho model EuCRUST-07 shows a 3.3 km RMS agreement for the Moho depth in Fennoscandia. We also illustrate how the above corrections improve the Moho depth estimation. Finally, the signatures of geological structures and isostatic equilibrium are studied using VMM14_FEN, showing how main geological unit structures attribute in isostatic balance by affecting the Moho geometry. The main geological features are also discussed in the context of the complete and incomplete isostatic equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]