ANOMALOUS TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LOWER PALAEOZOIC BASEMENT IN THE BRUSSELS REGION, BELGIUM
Geological Service Company, Houwaartstraat 31, B-3210 Linden, Belgium, E-mail: gsc_mb@skynet.be.
Geodynamics & Geofluids Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Geological Survey of Belgium, Jennerstraat 13, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Geodynamics & Geofluids Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract
A detailed reconstruction has been made of the topography of the top of the Lower Palaeozoic basement in the Brussels Region (Brabant Massif). The model of the palaeotopography reveals a series of SE-NW-elongated anomalous structures with differences in height, relative to the overall topography, up to 35 m. A clear correlation was found between the anomalies and the lithological composition of the Lower Palaeozoic substrate. Furthermore, a remarkable coincidence was observed between the palaeorelief and the aeromagnetic map, showing that the positive anomalous structures correspond to aeromagnetic lows and the negative anomalous structures to aeromagnetic highs. Lithological and aeromagnetic data seem closely interrelated with the palaeotopography and thus form an important contribution to the current palaeotopographical model. Conversely, the palaeotopographical model can be a major clue in unraveling the geological structure of the Lower Palaeozoic basement.