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How is the European Lithosphere Imaged by Magnetotellurics?

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Abstract

I review recent investigations on the electrical conductivity of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in Europe. The principal method in the reviewed studies is the magnetotelluric method, but in many cases other electromagnetic methods (e.g., magnetovariational profilings and geomagnetic depth soundings) have provided additional information on subsurface conductivity or have been the primary method. The review shows that the magnetotelluric method has been used, and is being used, in all kinds of environments and for many different processes shaping the crust and lithosphere. The crust is very heterogeneous, both with respect to the scale of conductive/resistive features and interpretations: research targets vary from Archaean palaeostructures to ongoing processes. The European database of the depth to the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) in Europe is updated, and a new map showing lateral variations of the depth of LAB is provided. The compilation shows that (1) the Phanerozoic European lithosphere, with considerable variations (45–150 km), is much thinner than the Precambrian European lithosphere, (2) the Trans-European Suture Zone is a major electrical border in Europe separating electrically (as well as geophysically and geologically in general) two quite different settings, (3) the thinnest lithosphere is found under the extensional Pannonian Basin (45–90 km), (4) in most of the East European Craton there are no indications of a high conductivity zone in upper mantle. In many regions there is no information at all on upper mantle conductivity, which calls for pan-European projects to operate arrays of simultaneously recording instruments with long recording periods (2–8 months) and dense spatial sampling (20–50 km).

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Acknowledgements

I wish to express my sincere thanks to the Program Committee and LOC of the El Vendrell workshop, who offered me a chance to prepare and deliver this review. In particular, I wish to give my thanks to J. Ledo and P. Queralt. My best thanks goes also to all colleagues, who provided me material on electrical conductivity and other geophysical and geological data in Europe. Last but not least, the guest editors of the review volume, P. Queralt and J. Weaver, are thanked for their guidance and patience. Prof. Alan Jones and an anonymous referee provided many useful comments that have improved the manuscript. Finally, I would like to thank University of Oulu, the Finnish Väisälä foundation and the Academy of Finland (EMMA project) for funds to prepare the review and to attend the workshop.

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  1. Department of Physical Sciences, Division of Geophysics, University of Oulu, 3000, Oulu, 90014, Finland

    Toivo Korja

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 1 Sources of data used to compile the database that contains depths of the electrical lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary in Europe
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Korja, T. How is the European Lithosphere Imaged by Magnetotellurics?. Surv Geophys 28, 239–272 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-007-9024-9

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