A Comparative Structural Study of Southern Region Shallow Basement of the North-Kivu Province (DR Congo) by Gravity and Magnetic Data Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to characterize the subsoil in the southern region of the North-Kivu province (DR Congo). Gravity and geomagnetic data were used in this study. Five different filters—the horizontal gradient magnitude, the analytic signal, the tilt derivative, the horizontal derivative of tilt derivative and the tilt angle of horizontal gradient—enabled us to delineate the gravity and magnetic anomaly sources present in the shallow subsurface of the study area. The plains of the Rutshuru territory are dominated by sources of weak gravity anomalies and sources of very weak magnetic anomalies located almost in the same places. The southern part of Rutshuru territory and a large part of Masisi territory are underlain by shallow sources of high gravity and magnetic anomalies. Gravity and magnetic anomaly sources are almost identical in the study area. The shallow sources of gravity and magnetic anomalies encountered in our study area are more or less linear and connected. The numerous gravity and magnetic lineaments present in our study region have three major directions: oriented East-West, North-South and North-East-South-West.