Analysis and Interpretation of Regional Gravity Data in the Swayze greenstone belt of the Superior Province, Canada

Abstract

The Swayze greenstone belt (SGB) is an Archean granitoid-greenstone terrain located in the central part of the Superior Province in Canada. The main objective of this project consisted in doing an analysis and modelling of public regional gravity data of the Swayze greenstone belt with the aim of examining the geometry and depth extent of the geological bodies that occur in the area of this greenstone belt. Gravity data from the Geophysical Data Repository of Natural Resources Canada was used to obtain forward 2.75D gravity models along three profiles, two transversal and one longitudinal to the geological structures of the Swayze greenstone belt. Gravity forward modelling along these profiles was performed using different constraints such as mapped geological contacts at the surface and petrophysical data of different type of rocks of the Abitibi greenstone belt. The models provide an attempt to characterize the geometry and depth extent of the geological units composing the SGB, using regional gravity data.

Keywords

• gravity data
• bouguer anomaly
• gravity modelling
• swayze greenstone belt
• superior province