Gradients in the interpretation of satellite-altitude magnetic data: An example from Central Africa

D. Ravat, B. Wang, E. Wildermuth, Patrick T. Taylor

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Euler and the analytic signal methods have been implemented in spherical coordinates to facilitate the interpretation of spherically-registered potential-field anomaly data collected by satellites. Model studies show that the methods are able to delineate the edges of idealized models even from 400 km altitude; the depth resolution is, however, not adequate from this altitude. A very large magnetic anomaly, the Bangui anomaly in central Africa, was studied using these methods. These results, from Magsat data, suggest that impact related remagnetization (Girdler, R.W., Taylor, P.T., Frawley, J.J., 1992, A possible impact origin for the Bangui magnetic anomaly (Central Africa), Tectonophysics, 212, 45-58) and presence of a highly magnetic source (Ravat, D., Hinze, W.J., von Frese, R.R.B., 1992, Analysis of Magsat magnetic contrasts across Africa and South America. Tectonophysics 212, 59-76) near the center of the impact structure are likely contributors to the anomaly.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)131-142
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Geodynamics
Volume33
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
D.R. developed the methods in this paper primarily to disprove the circular disc model of Girdler et al. (1992) . However, the objective evidence of the source edges from the Euler method from the Bangui anomaly, roughly in the form of a disc, made him retract his long-standing opposition. We are especially grateful to James J. Frawley and Professor Ronald W. Girdler for numerous discussions related to these interpretations. We thank Prof. Kathy Whaler for a number of improvements. We also thank three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the paper and the editor Dr. Eigil Friis-Christensen for facilitating the review process. The research was conducted through the funding provided by NASA. We are grateful for this support.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics
  • Earth-Surface Processes

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