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Gravimetric and seismic data integration in a 2D forward gravimetric modeling for the
crust and lid mantle beneath northern Brasilia Belt
Munir Koosah*, Roberta Vidotti LGA IG-UnB Brazil;
Jos Eduardo Soares, Reinhardt A. Fuck LABLITOS IG-UnB Brazil
*munilson@yahoo.com.br
____________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2007, SBGf - Sociedade Brasileira de Geofsica
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 10th International Congress of The
Brazilian Geophysical Society held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19-22 November 2007.
Contents of this paper were reviewed by the Technical Committee of the 10th
International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society and do not necessarily
represent any position of the SBGf, its officers or members. Electronic reproduction, or
storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of
the Brazilian Geophysical Society is prohibited.
____________________________________________________________________

Abstract
This work presents a 2D forward gravimetric model for the
Tocantins Province, central Brazil, obtained by integrating
gravimetric and seismic data in a 500 km long profile of
the crust and lid mantle. Geometry and density of the
initial gravimetric model were estimated taking into
account an existing seismic model based on deep
refraction data. The gravimetric model shows quantitative
evidence that the gravimetric differences in central Brazil
are mostly compensated in the lid mantle.
Introduction
This work presents a 2D gravimetric model for a 500 km
long profile across central Brazil crust and upper mantle,
obtained through the integration of deep seismic
refraction and gravimetric data.
Gravity data used in this work are the compilation of
several surveys involving IBGE, IAG/USP, SIS/UnB and
LabLitos/UnB, deployed in central Brazil along time, with
different precision and moved by different interests.
The gravimetric data used to obtain the model were taken
from a Bouguer anomaly map of Gois that was produced
from the integration of all existing information (Molina et
al., 1997). This compilation comprises data of nearly 6500
stations, that have been collected with a spatial grid
interval of 5' in latitude and longitude and were densified
to 1' for graphic representations, and a complementary
gravimetric survey of 328 additional stations (Berrocal et
al. 2004).
The initial model, used in the gravimetric modeling
processing, was the model proposed by Soares et al.
(2006) based on Porangatu and Cavalcante deep seismic
refraction lines, and receiver function studies, developed
in the northern portion of Gois, central Brazil in 1998.
Together, the seismic refraction lines are approximately
530 km long in the WNW-ESE direction. The seismic
profile began over the Araguaia Belt, crossed the Gois
Magmatic Arc, the Gois Massif and the external zone of
the northern Braslia Belt, finishing over the western part
of the So Francisco Craton (Figure 1).
The objective of this work is to test the qualitative gravity
interpretation presented by Soares et al. (2006).

Figure 1 - Geological map of the northern Tocantins Province,

central Brazil. From east to west, are shown the So Francisco
Craton, the Braslia Belt (external zone of the belt, Gois Massif,
Gois magmatic arc), and the Araguaia Belt. The Porangatu and
Cavalcante deep refraction lines are plotted. Stars represent
shots and crosses represent recording stations.

According to these authors the isostatic equilibrium in

central Brazil is mainly achieved by differences in
lithospheric mantle material, with the higher velocity
mantle presenting lower density and vice-versa.
Geological and geophysical setting
The Tocantins Province, which is located in central Brazil,
was build up during the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano
Orogeny as the result of convergence of three major
continental blocks represented by So Francisco,
Paranapanema and Amazon cratons, the second
presently underlying the Paran Basin (Marini et al.,
1984; Fuck et al., 1994; Pimentel et al., 2000; Arajo
Filho, 2000). The Tocantins Province comprises the

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Araguaia and Paraguay fold belts bordering the eastern

limit of Amazon Craton, and the Braslia Belt at the
western margin of the So Francisco Craton. The Braslia
Belt extends for more than 1,000 km in NS direction, and
is divided from west to east in Neoproterozoic Gois
Magmatic Arc, Archean/Paleoproterozoic Gois Massif,
and the external zone of the belt, with Paleoproterozoic
basement. A metamorphic core of high-grade rocks, the
Anpolis-Itauu Complex, is exposed in its central axis
(Figure 1). Geological contacts are mainly tectonic with
transport towards So Francisco Craton.

under the relative Bouguer gravimetric low domain. In that

region the mantle velocity is high (8.25 km/s) and the
density is inferred to be low, breaking the positive relation
between P velocity and density.
The 2D model was constructed using the GM-SYS
program from Geosoft . The basis for the methods used
to calculate the gravity and magnetic response is that
proposed by Talwani et al. (1959).

The Bouguer gravimetric map (Figure 2), presents a

conspicuous NE trend marked by a regional relative
gravimetric high and low. The gravimetric high is
approximately 50 mGal in amplitude. At its eastern
border, marked by a steep gradient (1 mGal/km), a
relative Bouguer gravimetric low is observed. It is
approximately 70 mGal in amplitude with values reaching
down to 140 mGal. This feature was compared with
other similar continental Bouguer gravimetric signatures,
and interpreted as representing a suture zone in central
Brazil (Lesquer et al., 1981; Hasui and Haralyi, 1985;
Feininger et al., 1991; Marangoni et al., 1995).
The high Bouguer gravimetric anomaly in the
northwestern portion of the area is approximately 750 km
long, and 120 km wide, slightly convex to SE. Its southern
and central portions are mainly associated with the Gois
Magmatic Arc. Northwards it comprises the granulites of
Porto Nacional.
The Porangatu and Cavalcante deep seismic refraction
lines are WNW-ESE in direction, almost perpendicular to
the main geological trend and to the gravimetric gradients
(Figures 1 and 2).
The crust and upper mantle model obtained from the
seismic modeling (Soares et al., 2006) indicates that
mean crustal VP for central Brazil (6.5-6.4 km/s) does not
show a discontinuity in physical properties within the crust
coherent with the sharp discontinuity present in the
Bouguer gravimetric map. On the other hand, the seismic
data show changes in P-wave velocity of the lid mantle
(8.05 km/s under the Bouguer gravimetric high and 8.23
km/s under the Bouguer gravimetric low) that maintain a
straightforward relation with the changes in the
gravimetric map, suggesting that Bouguer gravimetric
differences are mainly related to differences in the
lithospheric mantle material and/or lithospheric mantle
thickness, with minor contribution of crustal thickness and
density variation. The lower mantle velocity is related to
the high Bouguer anomaly and vice-versa.
Modeling process
To check the qualitative gravimetric interpretation
presented by Soares et al. (2006) a forward gravimetric
modeling was performed, considering the seismic model
proposed by the authors.
The gravimetric profile was obtained from a slice in a
gravimetric grid following the seismic lines location. The
starting gravity model was constructed considering the
geometry of the seismic model and the P-wave velocity
distribution, which were converted into density
distribution, following the Christensen and Mooney (1995)
relation. The exception was the density of the mantle

Figure 2 Bouguer gravimetric map of the northern Tocantins

Province, showing the large regional variation of the gravimetric
data. The gravimetric high is associated with the Gois Massif
and Gois Magmatic Arc, and the gravimetric low is associated
with the external zone of the Braslia Belt.

Model Presentation
In the 2D gravity forward modeling (Figure 3), the crustal
structure was maintained, and minor adjustments were
made in the density of the crustal blocks obtained from
the seismic velocity conversion.
Tectonic models of orogenic domains, in which different
aged lithospheric blocks are put side by side, consider
that the lid mantle of the cratonic area is older, less hot,
and generally depleted, and therefore, with lower density
values. And the lid mantle of the orogenic areas, is
younger, hotter, and with high-density values.
Considering that and the homogeneous behavior of the
crust in the area based on the seismic data, the main
modeling adjustments were made in the lid mantle,
proposing that the great regional gravimetric variation is
compensated mostly in the lid mantle.
An asthenospheric mantle was considered beneath the
lithospheric mantle, so that the difference between the
two mantles material could be compared. A small contrast
of 0.15 g/cm3 in the density is placed. This small
difference is enough to explain the large Bouguer gravity

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Munir Koosah, Roberta Vidotti, Jos Eduardo Soares, Reinhardt A. Fuck

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 3 2D Model of the crust and lid mantle beneath the northern Tocantins Province and the associated Bouguer profile. Note the large senoidal curve of the Bouguer anomaly, and how it
can be compensated in the lid mantle. The main structure of the crust proposed by Soares et al., 2006 was maintained, and the gravimetric variance is compensated mainly in the lid mantle.
The main tectonic features are shown above the 2D model.

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2D forward gravimetric modeling for the crust and lid mantle beneath northern Brasilia Belt

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low, approximately 70 mGal in amplitude, in the

eastern portion of the area.

Conclusions
The gravimetric model confirms the possibility of
the isostatic compensation in central Brazil to be
achieved, mainly, due to differences in the lid
mantle material. The high velocity mantle (8.25
km/s) has lower density (3.25 g/cm3) and is
thicker, and the low velocity mantle (8.05 km/s)
has higher density (3.32 g/cm3) and is thinner.
There is an intrinsic ambiguity related to the
thickness and to the density distribution in the lid
mantle. Despite of that the model suggests that
the lid mantle under the low gravimetric domain is
not thicker than 80 km and under the high
gravimetric domain it is even thinner.
There is a tendency of the Neoproterozoic mantle
(d=3.32 g/cm3) to advance under the external zone
of the Braslia Belt, mismatching the crustal and lid
mantle limits.
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