Large-scale gravity anomaly in northern Norway: Tectonic implications of shallow or deep source depth and a possible conjugate in northeast Greenland

Abstract

A prominent gravity and geoid low lies just south of the Lofoten peninsula in northern Norway, partly coinciding with the location of Proterozoic granites of the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt and being offset by ca. 100 km to the highest topography of northern Norway. The study area extends both onshore and offshore and lies at the transition between Archaean and Proterozoic lithosphere. The Palaeoproterozoic basement has been overthrusted by the Palaeozoic nappes of the Caledonian orogen and now forms the passive margin of the NE Atlantic. We investigate the gravity anomaly performing combined 3-D geophysical-petrological forward modelling of the lithosphere and sublithospheric upper mantle using the interactive modelling program LitMod3D. We include variations in thickness and composition of the lithospheric mantle in order to include the effects on the rifted margin adjoining the Baltic craton. We compare three possible origins of the anomaly: (i) a low-density upper crust, representing the northward extension of the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt, (ii) a lower crustal source formed by a Moho depression and (iii) a thick, depleted lithospheric mantle of possibly Archaean origin. A similar, yet wider and stronger gravity anomaly is found on the conjugate margin in northeastern Greenland. A shallow crustal source is most consistent with the geophysical data sets. A respective source of the granitic belt, however, is difficult to reconcile with the regional geology both in Fennoscandia and Greenland. An additional contribution form a deeper source is suggested.