Joint Inversion of Seismological Data and Magnetotelluric Data for the Northern Scandinavian Mountains

Abstract:

With the increase of computing power and different kinds of geophysical data available for the same area, several joint inversion techniques using different types of seismological data, seismological and gravity data or seismological and electromagnetic data have been suggested for imaging the sub-surface.These approaches have the advantage of reducing the problem of non-uniqueness of inversion modelling, improving the convergence of models,and reducing the uncertainties.

Here we use a joint inversion of P-Receiver Functions, seismic ambient noise and magnetotellurics for crustal imaging on a passive margin showing topographical anomaly. The Northern Scandinavia Mountains are a good example of a passive margin with high topography (peak above 1,000 m) for applying this approach as several types of geophysical data (seismological, magnetotelluric, gravity) are available in this area. The comparison between the results of magnetotelluric analysis and the results from a seismic study of the crust, shows that the location of the e-Moho and the seismic Moho is close (<5 km). Thus joint inversion has the potential to improve crustal imaging in this area and results in an improved crustal model across the Northern Scandinavian Mountains.