THE DENSITY CONTRAST AT THE MOHOROVICIC-DISCONTINUITY

The compilation of new global Mohorovicic ('Moho') topographic data enables us to estimate the density contrast between the crust and mantle. Assuming that this contrast is constant, the minimization of the external gravititional potential induced by the Earth's topographic masses and the Moho discontinuity gives the value of 0.28 g cm-3 for the density jump at the Moho under the continental areas. For the oceanic areas where the information about the Moho depths is unavailable or poor, the procedure has not been applied.