A precision gravity study of the Southern Mesilla bolson, West Texas
Abstract
The Mesilla bolson is one of the numerous fault controlled basin of West Texas. Precision gravity survey was used for investigation. Though gravity methods are not commonly applied to ground water studies, they can provide a powerful tool for imaging faults within a basin. Precision gravity data have already been collected for three east west lines across the southern Mesilla basin (Imana, 2003). Interpretation of these data suggests that the eastern boundary of the basin is controlled by a series of smaller faults rather than a single large one. Determining the accurate location of these faults in 3-D was one of the primary objectives of this study. For this purpose gravity data have been collected along three north south lines under this study. A second objective of the study was to test a newly developed technique to model gravity data in three dimensions. In this approach, topography and near surface geology, often ignored in conventional gravity modeling in relatively flat terrain, was included in the model to determine the detailed structure lying below the surface. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Subject Area
Geology|Geophysics|Geophysical engineering
Recommended Citation
Khatun, Salma, "A precision gravity study of the Southern Mesilla bolson, West Texas" (2003). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAIEP10570.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAIEP10570