The absolute gravity measurement by FG5 gravimeter at Great Wall Station,Antarctica

Gravity measurement is of great importance to the height datum in Antarctica. The absolute gravity measurement was carried out at Great Wall Station, Antarctica, using FG5 absolute gravity instrument. The gravity data was processed with corrections of earth tide, ocean tide, polar motion and the atmospher, and the RMS is within -3×10^-8 ms^-2. The vertical and horizontal gravity gradients were measured using 2 LaCoaste ＆ Romberg （LCR） gravimeters. The absolute gravity measurement provides the fundamental data for the validation and calibration of the satellite gravity projects such as CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE, and for the high accuracy geold model.

Modeling of Atmospheric Gravity Effects for High-Precision Observations

Temporal variations of atmospheric density distribution induce changes in the gravitational air mass attraction at a specific observation site. Additionally, the load of the atmospheric masses deforms the Earth’s crust and the sea surface. Variations in the local gravity acceleration and atmospheric pressure are known to be corrected with an admittance of about 3 nm/s2 per hPa as a standard factor, which is in accordance with the IAG Resolution No. 9, 1983. A more accurate admittance factor for a gravity station is varying with time and depends on the total global mass distribution within the atmosphere. The Institut für Erdmessung (IfE) performed absolute gravity observations in the Fennoscandian land uplift area nearly every year from 2003 to 2008. The objective is to ensure a reduction with 3 nm/s2 accuracy. Therefore, atmospheric gravity changes are modeled using globally distributed ECMWF data. The attraction effect from the local zone around the gravity station is calculated with ECMWF 3D weather data describing different pressure levels up to a height of 50 km. To model the regional and global attraction, and all deformation components the Green’s functions method and surface ECMWF 2D weather data are used. For the annually performed absolute gravimetry determinations, this approach improved the reductions by 8 nm/s2 (-19 nm/s2 to +4 nm/s2). The gravity modeling was verified using superconducting gravimeter data at station Membach inBelgiumimproving the residuals by about 15%.

Coseismic Effects of the 2011 Magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake Measured at Far East Russia Continental Coast by Gravity and GPS Methods

This work presents the results of complex gravity observation performed at Shults Cape, Gamov peninsula (42.58°N, 131.15°E), Russia. Absolute laser gravimeter GABL type and Scintrex type relative gravimeter were used for measurement. To investigate the accuracy of tidal corrections we compared the observed tidal parameters of the main tidal waves O1 and M2 with modeled ones computed from 6 different ocean tidal models: CSR4, FES02, FES04, GOT00, NAO99 and TPX06. After discussion a theoretical model based on TPX06 ocean tides model and DDW99 non hydrostatic body tides model was used for tidal correction of absolute gravity data. Preliminary estimate of gravity effect induced by the Tohoku-Oki earthquake of11 March 2011Mw = 9.0 at Primorye territory (Russia) was found to be 5.1 ± 2.0 μGal. Co-seismic crustal displacements revealed by GPS data at Far EastRussiacontinental coast are also investigated. Volumetric dilatation of this area is observed at +1.7 × 10-8 level.