Acquisition And Application Of Aero-Magnetometry In Norway And On The Norwegian Shelf

Magnetometry is one of the oldest geophysical methods and it is probably the first one which was applied to exploration. Significant technologically achievements in instrumentation and positioning made the application a fast and effective method to map geological and tectonic settings over large areas. Strong interaction of the Earth's magnetic field in the Arctic with external fields, mostly deriving from the sun, can disturb the magnetic signal from the crust and makes the acquisition at such high latitude extremely challenging. The Geological survey of Norway has more than 60 years of experience with airborne magnetic acquisition and together with TGS has acquired aeromagnetic data over Norway and almost the entire Norwegian shelf. The data contribute to characterize the underlying basement lithology on the Norwegian shelf, understanding better the tectonic processes of the sedimentary basins and the crustal heat flow. In the oceanic domain, seafloor spreading anomalies are predominant to identify the limit of the oceanic crust and allow plate reconstruction to better understand the opening of the North Atlantic.