Gravity data on the Central Pyrenees: a step forward to help a better understanding of the Pyrenean structures

In this work, we present new Bouguer and residual Bouguer anomaly maps of the Central Pyrenees calculated from 3590 stations, of which 1141 are new observations acquired from surveys performed between 2018 and 2019. The most prominent feature of the Bouguer anomaly is the long wavelength elongated minimum in its central part that continues to the W and ends towards the E with a positive gradient that seems to envelope the minimum. Other short and medium wavelength minima are superimposed, some placed over the batholithic outcrops. In the residual Bouguer, the main relative minima are related with outcrops of batholiths or interpreted buried granites except for the prominent minimum South of La Maladeta Granite, associated with Triassic evaporitic accumulations. These maps (shown on the Main Map) will help characterizing the Permo-Carboniferous batholiths of the Central Pyrenees, in particular La Maladeta and Andorra Mont-Louis granites in order to add constraints to the mechanism of their emplacement.The graphical abstract shows the workflow from geological mapping to the residual Bouguer anomaly. The aim of the acquisition, processing and interpretation of the gravity data is to investigate the geometry and physical properties in depth of the geological structures, some of them outcropping and cartographied on the geological map.