Effect of varying crustal thickness on CHAMP geopotential data

Abstract

To determine the effect of crustal thickness variation on satellite-altitude geopotential anomalies we compared two regions of Europe with vastly different values, South and Central Finland and the Pannonian Basin. Crustal thickness exceeds 44 km in Finland and is less than 26 km in the Pannonian Basin. Heat-flow data indicate that the crust of the Pannonian Basin has a value nearly three times that of the Finnish Svecofennian Province. A positive CHAMP gravity anomaly (∼4 mGal) is quasi-coincidental with the CHAMP magnetic anomaly across the Pannonian Basin. CHAMP gravity data indicates a minimum of 3 mGal in southwest Finland. CHAMP magnetic data reveal elongated semicircular negative anomalies for both regions with South-Central Finland having larger amplitude (