Knowledge about the structure and composition of the Earth's crust is important for understanding the dynamics of the Earth. For example, the presence or absence of melt or fluids plays a major role in plate tectonic processes. Most our knowledge in this area comes from geophysical surveys. However, the relationship between measurable geophysical parameters and the actual conditions in the Earth's interior is often ambiguous. To improve this state of affairs, LMU geophysicist Max Moorkamp has developed a new method, whereby data on the distribution of electrical conductivity and density in the Earth's crust is combined and processed using a method derived from medical imaging. "The advantage is that the relationships between the two parameters are part of the analysis," says Moorkamp. "For geophysical applications, this is completely new."
