Geological appraisal over the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton, India using GOCE, EIGEN6-C2 and in situ gravity data

• GOCE EIGEN-6C2 high resolution satellite gravity data utilized for geological appraisal of Singhbhum.
• Major geological signatures identified in this study correlated well with the existing geological map.
• Different vertical derivatives along with tilt derivative maps gave information on lithological units, structures and boundaries.
• It is a unique study for GOCE application on Singhbhum Shear Zone.

The gravity field and derivatives generated with the high resolution EIGEN-6C2 gravity model which includes satellite gravity data of GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) has been utilized for geological appraisal of the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton, India. The GOCE only field gravity data and in situ gravity data of the same area have been utilized for comparative assessment to validate the results derived by EIGEN-6C2 gravity data. The GOCE and EIGEN-6C2 Bouguer gravity data have been generated from GOCE and EIGEN-6C2 Free-air gravity data, respectively, after removing topography effect. The result shows that correlation coefficient and covariance between the Bouguer gravity anomaly distribution of in situ and EIGEN-6C2 data of the entire study area are 0.68 and 93.9 mgal2, respectively. The GOCE field compares well to the terrestrial derivative fields in the long-wavelength part of the signal. Further, EIGEN-6C2 and in situ Bouguer gravity data have been analyzed using the 1st and 2nd Vertical Derivatives, Analytical Signal and Tilt Derivative mapping techniques. Published geological and structural maps of the area have been overlapped over different derivative maps and the analytical signal map to analyze the correlation with the subsurface geology and geological structures of the area. Major distinct geological signatures, on different derivative maps and analytical signal map, are correlated well with the existing geological map. The TDR derived from the EIGEN-6C2 Bouguer anomaly has been used to map geologic contacts. The source boundaries and depths are determined from the zero contours, and the half distance between ±π/4 contours or the distance between zero and +π/4 or −π/4 contour of TDR, respectively. The gravity data generated from EIGEN-6C2 model provides sufficient resolution for understanding of the geological setting of the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton.