Gravity & Plate tectonic

•Gravity measurements are used to determine whether an area

is in isostatic equilibrium.
•Providing information about the structure and properties of
the lithosphere and mantle.
Pratt :
Gravity Anomalies
B=0.04196 (rho)h~~ 42 [mGal]

the Bouguer correction for a layer 1 km thick with density 10^3 kg/m−3 is 42 mgal.

•The water depth decreases by ∼2km

•across the margin with water (density 1000 kgm−3 140 mGal
• crust (density∼2700 kgm−3)
•change in water depth 3 km,
•across the margin with water (density 1000 kgm−3
• crust (density∼2700 kgm−3)
 Hawaii

water depth of ∼4km would cause an

increase in gravity of 300 mGal
 Free air

If a structure or region is totally compensated, the free-air

anomaly is very small away from the edges of the structure,
If the structure is only partially compensated, or not
compensated at all, then the free air anomaly is positive,
perhaps up to several hundred milligals in magnitude

For a totally or partially compensated structure the Bouguer anomaly

is negative, whereas for an uncompensated structure the Bouguer
anomaly is zero.
Prediction garvity
from convection
Flexure Lithosfer

Rigidity :
a depression with a half-width of 150 km. Using
Fig. 5.15 and Table 5.1, we can estimate the flexural parameter α as 64 km. Then,
with Eqs. (5.63) and (5.57), the elastic thickness of the lithosphere is calculated
as 24 km when ρm = 3.3 × 103 kgm−3, ρw = 1.0 × 103 kgm−3, g = 10ms−2,
D = 9.6 × 1022Nm, E = 70 GPa and σ = 0.25.