A global correlation of the step-wise consolidated crust-stripped gravity field quantities with the topography, bathymetry, and the CRUST 2.0 Moho boundary

Abstract

We investigate globally the correlation of the step-wise consolidated crust-stripped gravity field quantities with the topography, bathymetry, and the Moho bound ary. Global correlations are quantified in terms of Pearson's correlation coefficient. The elevation and bathymetry data from the ETOP05 are used to estimate the correlation of the gravity field quantities with the topography and bathymetry. The 2x2 arc-deg discrete data of the Moho depth from the global crustal model CRUST 2.0 are used to estimate the correlation of the gravity field quantities with the Moho boundary. The results reveal that the topographically corrected gravity field quantities have the highest absolute correlation with the topography. The negative correlation of the topographically corrected gravity disturbances with the topography over the continents reaches -0.97. The ocean, ice and sediment density contrasts stripped and topographically corrected gravity field quantities have the highest correlation with the bathymetry (ocean bottom relief). The correlation of the ocean, ice and sediment density contrasts stripped and topographically corrected gravity disturbances over the oceans reaches 0.93. The consolidated crust-stripped grav ity field quantities have the highest absolute correlation with the Moho boundary. In particular, the global correlation of the consolidated crust-stripped gravity disturbances with the Moho boundary is found to be -0.92. Among all the investigated gravity field quantities, the consolidated crust-stripped gravity disturbances are thus the best suited for a refinement of the Moho density interface by means of the gravimetric modeling or inversion.