A 3D synoptic model of Central America inferred from gravity data interpretation

Large portions of the Central American Isthmus have served as key areas for the collaborative research program (SFB 574) and its goal to understand orogenic processes at convergent margins, such as the volatile and fluid cycle and the relationships between tectonics and magmatism. Gravity data from both on- and offshore has been gathered from various institutions and has been combined in a homogeneous data set. Due to difficult access to the high mountains the coverage by gravity observations remains rather incomplete mainly in the area of southern Costa Rica and eastern Nicaragua. Station complete Bouguer anomalies, Free Air anomalies and isostatic residual anomalies maps were compiled as a result of the homogenization of gravity field data. First analyses of the gravity field using curvature methods helps to separate density provinces in the crust. A comparison with the geological map shows a good correlation with tectonical units in most of the region and provides possibilities for crustal segmentation. Sources of gravity anomalies were investigated by Euler deconvolution and source point clusters in depths of 10 km and 30 km were obtained. For the first time a 3D density model up to the Central American lithosphere has been compiled by combining the results of curvature and Euler analysis with constraining data e.g. geological maps, seismic profiles, earthquake hypocenters and new results from tomographic modeling and receiver function analysis of the seismological task group of the SFB 574. The in-house software package IGMAS was used for modeling visualization of the model structures and gravity effects (e.g. serpentinization of the oceanic lithosphere at the Pacific side); it helps to identify borders between tectonic blocks e.g. the Chortis block in the north or the Chorotega block in the south of the research area. At a more local scale our 3D modeling works hand in hand with a small scale 3D modeling by Lücke and Alvarado and provides insight into the upper crustal parts beneath the volcanoes of Central Costa Rica.