Estimation of the Depth of Major Subsurface Discontinuities Beneath the Mount Cameroon Region, Central Africa, Based on New and Existing Gravity Data Analysis

Abstract

The Mount Cameroon region is investigated using 2-D spectral analysis of the gravity data, in order to determine the depth of subsurface interfaces beneath the region. New gravity data are combined to existing ones to determine the depth of the major subsurface discontinuities throughout the region. Depths are established from the slope of the log-power radial spectrum et the lower end of the wave number band. Three major subsurface density discontinuities are determined beneath the Mount Cameroon: (1) 0.41 ± 0.02 km, (2) 1.26 ± 0.06 km, (3) 4.73 ± 0.24 km. This result has the best precision comparing with the those from the former Bouguer anomaly where the major subsurface discontinuities obtained are: (1) 0.48 ± 0.02 km for the first layer, 1.81 ± 0.09 km for the second and 6.87 ± 0.34 km for the third. This difference is probabely due to the densification of gravity data. The knowledge on the depth of different interfaces in the crust is very important in the reconstitution of the earth history. These results will the support of prospective investigations throughout this region.