Cohen, Y., M. Menvielle, and J.L. Le Mouel, Magnetic measurements aboard a stratospheric balloon, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 44, 348-367, 1986.

Abstract

We have measured the total intensity of the Earth's magnetic field above the western Mediterranean along a 2000 km profile, flown at an altitude of 40 km. A proton magnetometer was aboard a CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) stratospheric balloon. The core field and transient external field contributions have been carefully determined and removed from the data. The resulting profile reveals significant anomalies of 10-20 nT amplitudes with 100-1200 km wavelengths. These anomalies have a clear crustal origin, and can be related to heterogeneities in magnetisation in the oceanic Algero-Provençal basic and to major faults of the Spanish continental crust. Comparison of our new data with previous data obtained over the same area, at about 1 km altitude (aeromagnetic surveys) and about 400 km altitude (MAGSAT), demonstrates the potential of stratospheric balloon measurements in bridging the 200-1500 km gap that exists in the knowledge of crustal anomalies, a gap that is unavoidable only if aeromagnetic and satellite—like MAGSAT—data are used.

References

  1. Arthaud, F., Matte, Ph., 1975. Les décrochements tardihércyniens du sud-ouest de l'Europe. Géométrie et essai de reconstitution des conditions de la déformation. Tectonophysics, 25: 139-171.
  2. Bayer, R., Le Mouël, J.L. and Le Pichon, X., 1973. Magnetic anomaly pattern in the Western Mediterranean. Earth. Planet. Sci. Lett., 19: 168-176.
  3. Burrus, J., 1984. Contribution to a geodynamic synthesis of the provençal basin (North-Western Mediterranean). Mar. Geol., 55: 247-269.
  4. Chanin, M.L. and Hauchecorne, A., 1981. Lidar observation of gravity and tidal waves in the Stratosphere and Mesosphere. J. Geophys. Res., 86: 9715-9721.
  5. De Smet, M.E.M., 1984. Wrenching in the external zone of the Bettic Cordilleras, Southern Spain. Tectonophysics, 107: 57-59.
  6. Galdeano, A. and Rossignol, J.C., 1977. Assemblage à altitude constante des cartes d'anomalies magnŘtiques couvrant l'ensemble du bassin occidental de la Méditerranée. Bull. Soc. Géol. Fra. XIX, 3.
  7. Harrison, C.G.A. and Carle, H.M., 1981. Intermediate wavelength anomalies over ocean basins. J. Geophys. Res., 86: 11585-11599.
  8. Le Brecque, J.L. and Cande, S.C., 1984. Intermediate wavelength anomalies over the central Pacific. J. Geophys. Res., 89: 11124-11134.
  9. La Brecque, J.L. and Raymond, C.A., 1985. Seafloor spreading in the Magsat field of the North Atlantic. J. Geophys. Res., 90: 2565-2575.
  10. Langel, R.A. and Estes, R.H., 1982. Comparison of candidate IGRF models. J. Geomag. Geoelectr., 34: 365-381.
  11. Langel, R.A., Phillips, J.D. and Horner, R.J., 1982. Initial scalar magnetic anomaly map from Magsat. Geophys. Res. Lett., 9: 269-272.
  12. Leblanc, D. and Oliver, Ph., 1984. ROle of strike-slip faults in the Betic-Rifian orogeny. Tectonophysics, 101: 345-355.
  13. Le Borgne, E., Bayer, R., and Le Mouël, J.L., 1972. La cartographie magnétique de la partie sud du basin algéro-provençal, C.R. Acad. Sci., Paris, 274: p. 1291.
  14. Le Douaran, S., Burrus, J. and Avedik, F., 1984. Deep structure of the North-Western Mediterranean Basin: results of a two-ships seismic survey. Mar. Geol., 55: 325-345.
  15. Menvielle, M., 1984. Anomalies de conductivité et phénomènes de canalisation. Thèse, 115 pages, Paris, France.
  16. Nomura, M., 1984. Marine magnetic anomalies in the Western Pacific region. Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst. Univ. Tokyo, 11: 1-42.
  17. Schilnger, C.M., 1985. Magnetization of lower crust and interpretation of regional magnetic anomalies: example of Lofoten and Westeralen, Norway. J. Geophys. Res., 90: 11484-11504.
  18. Wasilewskie, P.J., Thomas, H.H., and Mayhew, M.A., 1979. The Moho as a magnetic boundary. Geophys. Res. Lett., 6: 541-544.
Back to reference material
Home