Gravity inversion of an interface above which the density contrast varies exponentially with depth

Abstract

Mapping of an interface above which the density contrast varies exponentially with depth, as is common at the basement surface of sedimentary basins, is efficiently achieved by a theoretically precise gravity method which can be applied to either profile data or twodimensional data. The contrast in mass above the interface is modeled by an array of vertical rectangular prisms with density contrasts varying exponentially with depth. Gravity anomalies due to the prisms are calculated in the wavenumber domain and then converted to the space domain. The precision of the inverse numerical Fourier transform in this procedure is significantly increased by a shift‐sampling technique based on the discrete Fourier deviation equation. Depth to the interface is determined by iterative adjustment of the vertical extent of the prisms in accordance with observed gravity anomaly data. The basement surface of the Los Angeles basin, California, calculated by this method, closely duplicates the published configuration based on drillhole data and seismic data.