An inverse method for calculating basement geometries in foreland basins

Tectonic Models for the Evolution of Sedimentary Basins

“…However, these relationships remain often unclear for continents (Watts, 2001). Adopting a quartz-diabase-olivine composition, the intrinsic strength of upper crust, lower crust, and lithospheric mantle increases with depth, in competition with Compilation of elastic thicknesses (EET) obtained from forward flexural modeling of foreland basins (see also Gutscher (1995), Macario et al (1995), Stewart and Watts (1997), Ford et al (1999), and Karner and Watts (1983) W European Platform E Alps North Alpine 35.0 12.0 Gutscher (1995), Steward and Watts (1997), and Karner and Watts (1983) Adriatic N Alps/Apennines Po west 20.0 5.0 Carrapa and Garcia-Castellanos (2005) and Kroon (2002) Adriatic N Alps/Apennines Po east 10.0 8.0 Tang et al (1992), Kroon (2002), and Barbieri et al (2004) the weakening induced by the geothermal gradient. This can lead to two weak zones, capable of mechanically decoupling the upper crust, the lower crust, and the lithospheric mantle.…”