Abstract The global distribution of the Earth's lithospheric induced magnetization is examined through an inverse modeling approach that integrates constraints from both petrological data and satellite magnetic observations. The distribution of induced magnetization is characterized by the Vertical Integrated Susceptibility (VIS) of a spherical equivalent source layer. To reconstruct the long‐wavelength structures of the lithospheric magnetic field, a prior petrologically derived VIS model (SM3‐SI) is utilized to provide constraints at spherical harmonic degrees 0–16, while finer structures are constrained by satellite magnetic data. The resultant VIS model furnishes a higher‐resolution and more accurate depiction of lithospheric induced magnetization. Significant variations in the resultant VIS model across different crustal types and basement ages are confirmed through a comprehensive analysis. High lithospheric magnetization is generally observed in Precambrian provinces characterized by cold and thick lithospheres, whereas orogenic belts and extended crustal regions exhibit lower magnetization due to reduced magnetic materials from crustal thinning. In oceanic regions, elevated lithospheric magnetization is mainly concentrated in oceanic plateaus which are associated with Cretaceous magmatic activity. Mantle‐derived magnetic sources, which are related to an increased Curie depth caused by the cold subducted slabs and the serpentinization within the mantle wedge, are inferred to underlie the strong magnetization observed in island arcs and subduction zones.
Chen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.