Residual Topography and Lithospheric Isostatic Gravity Anomaly in the East Asian Continent

Abstract

The topography of the Earth is a crucial component for investigating dynamic topography and lithosphere-upper mantle dynamics. Dynamic topography, caused by geodynamic processes, significantly shapes Earth’s current surface. Residual topography serves as an indicator of this dynamic topography. To determine residual topography, one must first obtain isostatic topography. In this study, we propose a new calculation method for isostatic topography based on the Airy-Heis-kanen lithospheric isostasy model. The method is applied to obtain the residual topography map of the East Asian Continent (EAC) using the global relief model ETOPO1, the latest global crustal model ECM1, and the global seismic tomography model SL2013sv. The short-wavelength components of residual topography provide more detailed information about non-isostatic topography caused by lithospheric tectonic movements as compared to the long-wavelength components. The isostatic gravity anomaly based on the proposed lithospheric isostasy model presents some new insights into the dynamic characteristics of the lithosphere in the EAC.

Keywords

gravity anomaly / lithospheric isostasy / residual topography / isostatic topography / dynamic topography / the East Asian Continent / structural geology

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