It can be calculated from the support of gravity anomalies - see papers by Tony Watts... and in the early foreland basin papers came from this approach - gravity modelling (see Karner & Watts 1983, JGR). But, see "How strong are plates" video - it's a (at times gross) simplification of "real" lithosphere rheology...
Thanks for sharing these high quality material in public domain. Is it possible to have variable effective elastic thickness of lithosphere across a foreland basin? If yes what kind of features it will develop and is there a example of that exists.
Hi - given that Te is a simplification of the real rheology of lithosphere and its ability to support loads - of course it should show spatial variations. The interesting question is over what length-scales this matters in basin modelling... but there are few attempts to model this in detail. Lateral variations in front of the Himalayas etc - are out there.
