Bouguer anomalies of the NW Iberian continental margin and the adjacent abyssal plains

Abstract

The NW Iberian continental margin has a complex structure, resulting from the succession of several rifting episodes close to a ridge triple junction, and a superimposed partial tectonic inversion stage. The wide-ranging physiography matches the diverse tectonic deformation domains related to its evolution. Each deformation domain has a distinctive gravity signal, so the detailed Bouguer anomaly map presented here is a good first approach to the regional study of the whole margin. Moreover, as the presented chart is a complete Bouguer anomaly map (including terrain corrections), its analysis and interpretation can be done in terms of density, geometry and depth variations below the seafloor. This map is mainly based on the dataset obtained during seven one-month surveys carried out in the frame of the Spanish Economic Exclusive Zone project, and also includes two 2 + 3/4D density models illustrating the deep structure of the margin.