Analysis of the tidal gravity observations in Three Gorges reservoir area

The comparative observations of the tidal gravity in Three Gorges reservoir area, recorded with the LCR-ET20 gravimeter from Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the DZW-9 gravimeter from Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, are introduced. High-accuracy tidal gravity pa-rameters in this area are obtained, and the scale factor of the DZW-9 gravimeter is also estimated at a value of ?(756.06±0.05)×10?8 m?s?2V?1. The observed residuals of the corresponding instruments are investigated. Nu-merical results indicate that the long-term drift of the DZW-9 gravimeter appears a linear characteristic, and the observed accuracy is of the same order comparing with that of the LCR-ET20 gravimeter. The results given in the paper can provide with an effective reference model of the tidal gravity correction to the ground based and space geodesy.     

Results from 44 months of observations with a superconducting gravimeter at Moxa/Germany

Results for more than 42 months of observations with the superconducting gravimeter CD-034 at the Geodynamic Observatory Moxa are discussed. Moxa observatory is one of the newer stations within the ‘Global Geodynamics Project’ (GGP). A special feature of the gravimeter at Moxa is its dual sensor system; differences in the results obtained from the two sensor recordings are generally well within the standard deviations of the tidal analysis. One significant difference concerns the slightly different drift rates of 31 and 49.5 nm/s² per year for upper and lower sensor; both sensor drifts can be fitted by a linear function. We find that the noise levels are close to the ‘New Low Noise Model’ for the seismic-modes and are also low in the tidal bands. Due to this low noise, Moxa is a station well suited to search for small geodynamic signals. The long-period variation in the gravity residuals correlates well with the polar motion.The difference signal between the two sensor recordings has a peak-to-peak amplitude of about 6 nm/s² and shows systematic variations. Its spectrum is characterised by instrumental noise between 0.2 and 0.4 cph. The noise level of the difference and of the sum of the two residual datasets are clearly lower, respectively, higher than the noise contents of the gravity residuals themselves. This is a strong indication for the existence of broadband signals common to the two residual datasets, leading to the conjecture that the reduction of environmental effects is still not sufficient.Our results once more emphasize the necessity to correct the data for barometric pressure effects when analyzing the data for seismic modes. The reduction visibly increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the low frequencies of the mode band and helps to avoid misinterpreations of peaks. Besides the well known barometric pressure influence we can establish hydrological effects in the data which are probably caused by soil moisture and groundwater table variations as well as by batch-wise water movement within the weathering layer. As the major part of the observatory surroundings is above gravimeter level, an anticorrelation between hydrological and gravity changes is observed. In addition, it can be shown that global hydrological effects reach an order of magnitude that makes it necessary to consider these effects when analyzing long-period signals like polar motion. Vice versa these effects are large enough to be detectable in the gravity data. A first joint analysis of five datasets from the GGP network shows no indications for signals related to the Slichter triplet or core modes.     

Tidal loading along a profile Europe-East Africa-South Asia-Australia and the Pacific Ocean

A knowledge of the vertical component of the oceanic tidal load to a precision of at least one microgal is essential for the geophysical exploitation of the high-precision absolute and differential gravity measurements which are being made at ground level and in deep boreholes. On the other hand the ocean load and attraction signal contained in Earth tide gravity measurements can be extracted with a precision which is sufficient to characterize the behaviour of the oceanic tides in different basins and this provides a check of the validity of the presently proposed cotidal maps. The tidal gravity profiles made since 1971 from Europe to Polynesia, through East Africa, Asia and Australia, with correctly intercalibrated gravimeters, comprise information from 91 tidal gravity stations which is used in this paper with this goal in mind.A discussion of all possible sources of error is presented which shows that at the level of 0.5 μgal the observed effects cannot be ascribed to computational or instrumental errors. Cotidal maps which generate computed loads in agreement with the Earth tide gravity measurements over a sufficiently broad area can be used with confidence as a working standard to apply tidal corrections to high-precision measurements made by using new techniques in geodesy, geophysics and geodynamics, satellite altimetry, very long baseline interferometry, Moon and satellite laser ranging and absolute gravity. The recent cotidal maps calculated by Schwiderski for satellite altimetry reductions agree very well with land-based gravimeter observations of the diurnal components of the tides (O₁, K₁ and P₁ waves) but his semi-diurnal component maps (M₂, S₂ and N₂ waves) strangely appear less satisfactory in some large areas. The maps of Hendershott and Parke give good results in several large areas but not everywhere. More detailed investigations are needed not only for several coastal stations but mainly in the Himalayas.     

Analysis and comparison of the tidal gravity observations obtained with LCR-ET20 spring gravimeter

Introduction The tidal variation signals of the solid Earth recorded with the modern measuring techniques can be used to provide effectively the means to cognize the Earths motion, deformation and structure character, especially to monitor the material motion in the Earths interior. In the recent 20 years, the distribution character of the global gravity field has made great progress since the continuous and deep theoretical studies in geophysics and geodesy domains. The successful manufactur…     

Free core nutation period inferred from the gravity measurements at Józefosław

The Free Core Nutation (FCN) is an important eigenmode which affects both Earth rotation and body tide. The FCN parameters, the resonance period and the quality factor are important for understanding the dynamics of the Earth at nearly diurnal periods. Those parameters are usually estimated either from the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of nutation, or from the tidal gravity measurements. In this paper we investigate the determination of the FCN parameters from gravity records covering a period of more than three years, collected with the use of a LaCoste&Romberg Earth Tide no. 26 gravimeter, located at Józefos?aw observatory near Warsaw. From the resonant enhancements of gravimetric factors and phases of diurnal tidal gravity waves, we could infer the FCN period to be equal to 430 sidereal days. This result is in very good agreement with previous gravimetric and VLBI nutation results, confirming the discrepancy in the dynamic flattening of the outer liquid core from its theoretical value based on the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption. The estimated FCN quality factor (Q ≈ 1300) is considerably smaller than the VLBI nutation result, which confirms that the local gravity measurements are more sensitive than VLBI global analyses to site-dependent phenomena (such as atmospheric and indirect ocean tidal effects). We also investigated the importance of gravimetric corrections in the FCN analysis, including numerical tests and simulations. This allowed us to estimate the uncertainty of FCN parameters due to improper or incomplete set of environmental corrections. We took also into account the impact of gravimetric factor errors and tidal wave selection on estimated FCN parameters. We demonstrated that despite relatively noisy measurements due to unfavorable gravimeter location, we were able to obtain very good results in case when proper correction and tidal wave selection were applied.     

LCR-ET20弹簧型潮汐重力仪观测结果的分析和比较

基于武汉国际重力潮汐基准站LCR-ET20弹簧重力仪潮汐观测资料，利用国际标准的数据预处理和分析方法，采用与GWR型超导重力仪同址观测对比方法，较系统研究了ET20仪器特征以及大气和海洋重力信号．数值结果表明，尽管ET20的观测精度要比超导型重力仪的精度低一个量级，弹簧蠕变性导致的仪器漂移十分大，但该仪器仍获得了与超导重力仪相当的潮汐参数，能有效用于重力场的时间变化观测．      

Accurate determination of calibration factor for tidal gravity observation of a GWR-superconducting gravimeter

Introduction The superconducting gravimeters (SGs) are widely used to observe the change in temporal and spatial gravity field by many countries along the world, considering their characteristics as of the high-precision, good continuity and stability. By using the temporal variation of the tidal grav-ity obtained from the global network of SGs, the Global Geophysics Project (GGP) aims at some hot problems in geophysics and geodynamics (SUN, HSU, 1997). The original observations of the c…     

GWR超导重力仪潮汐观测标定因子的精密测定

超导重力仪被普遍认为是迄今为止观测精度高、连续性和稳定性最好的相对重力仪，但是在获得真实重力场变化之前，必须利用格值（标定因子）对这类仪器的直接输出量（电压变化）进行标定．研究表明，格值的准确度将影响到观测数据的后续分析和资料的解释，本文利用两期（每期３天）FG５绝对重力仪在武汉国际重力潮汐基准站上的同址测量资料和该台站已知潮汐参数，详细研究了超导重力仪标定因子及其精度．      

琼中台重力非潮汐变化气压与海潮负荷改正

本文对琼中台连续重力观测数据进行收集整理并处理,基于处理后的数据,进行了潮汐分析和非潮汐分析。潮汐分析采用VAV调和分析方法;非潮汐分析则分别进行了零漂改正、固体潮改正、气压改正和海潮改正。其中,零漂改正采用一般多项式拟合零漂的方法;气压改正采用VAV软件;海潮改正运用SPOTL程序,以NAO.99b潮汐模型计算了琼中台海潮负荷值。最终获得了改正后的琼中台重力非潮汐变化,结果表明琼中台的重力气压导纳值为-0.34×10^-8m/s²/mbar,气压改正幅度约为10×10^-8m/s²,海潮改正幅度约为5×10^-8m/s²。改正后,琼中台重力非潮汐变化数据,比仅进行零漂固体潮改正后的重力非潮汐变化数据中的潮汐信号更加微弱,说明进行海潮改正后的效果是明显的,该方法可进一步去除其中的潮汐信号。     

The first absolute gravity measurements in Indonesia

For the purposes of the calibration of the superconducting gravimeter (SG) in Bandung and the establishment of the absolute gravity (AG) points, we carried out AG measurements for the first time in Indonesia in November 2002. The measurements in Bandung were conducted between November 15th and 20th by means of a FG5 (#210), and 14,520 effective drops were obtained. The gravity value newly determined at the AG point in Bandung is 977976701.2 μgal (1 μgal = 10⁻⁸ ms⁻²) and the scale factor for the SG is −52.22 μgal/V. We also established another AG point in Yogyakarta near Merapi volcano and carried out AG measurements in Yogyakarta between November 22nd and 26th. The gravity value determined for this station is 978203093.5 μgal.     

利用重复测线校正海空重力仪格值及试验验证

通过分析海空重力测量系统误差的形成机理,我们发现海空重力仪格值标定误差是引起系统性测量偏差的主要因素之一.本文简要介绍了重力仪格值的标定方法,分析论证了格值标定的精度要求,提出了利用东西正反向重复测线检测校正海空重力仪格值的计算模型和补偿方法,分析讨论了该方法的校正精度及其适用条件,利用航空重力实际观测网数据对该方法的合理性和有效性进行了数值验证,证明该方法对消除海空重力测量系统性偏差具有显著作用.     

Loading effects in Metsähovi from the atmosphere and the Baltic Sea

Loading by atmosphere and by the Baltic Sea cause gravity change at Metsähovi, located 15 km from the open sea. Gravity is changed by both the Newtonian attraction of the loading mass and by the crustal deformation. We have performed loading calculations using appropriate Green's function for both gravity and deformation, for both atmospheric and Baltic loading. The loading by atmosphere has been computed using a detailed surface pressure field from high resolution limited area model (HIRLAM) for north Europe up to 10° distances. Baltic Sea level is modelled using tide gauge records. Calculations show that 1 m of uniform layer of water corresponds to 31 nm s⁻² in gravity and −11 mm in height. Modelled loading is compared with observations of the superconducting gravimeter T020 for years 1994–2002. The combination of HIRLAM and a tide gauge record decreases RMS of gravity residuals by 14% compared to single admittance in air pressure corrections without sea level data. Regression of gravity residuals on the tide gauge record at Helsinki (at 30 km distance) gives a gravity effect of 26 nm s⁻² m⁻¹ for Baltic loading.The gravity station is co-located with a permanent GPS station. We have also associated the loading effects of the atmosphere and of the Baltic Sea with temporal height variations. The range of modelled vertical motion due to air pressure was 46 mm and that due to sea level 18 mm. The total range was 38 mm. The effects of the Baltic Sea and of the atmosphere partly cancel each other, since at longer periods the inverse barometer assumption is valid. Regression of the modelled height on local air pressure gives −0.37 mm hPa⁻¹, corresponding approximately to width 6° for pressure system.We have tested the models using one year of daily GPS data. Multilinear regression on local air pressure and sea level in Helsinki gives the coefficient −0.34 mm hPa⁻¹ for pressure, and −11 mm m⁻¹ for sea level. These match model values. Loading by air pressure and Baltic Sea explains nearly 40% of the variance of daily GPS height solutions.     

利用小波分析重力的长期变化

运用小波滤波方法估算Chandler和周年项的潮汐因子.本文分析了四个台站(Brussels, Boulder, Membach以及Strasbourg)的观测记录,运用合成潮方法得到重力残差后,用Daubechies小波带通滤波器滤波残差,得到256～512 d时间尺度上的序列,根据标准差最小原则确定观测极潮周年和Chandler项的周期,然后利用最小二乘法估算它们的潮汐因子,同时给出未经模型改正的周年重力.由于高阶Daubechies小波构造的滤波器具有良好的频率响应,且能压制信号中的高阶异常成分,使滤波的信号更加光滑,因此计算结果具有更小的均方差,更加可靠.     

Parameters of the fluid core resonance inferred from superconducting gravimeter data

We have estimated the parameters of fluid core resonance (FCR) due to the nearly diurnal free wobble of the Earth's core based on the superconducting gravimeter (SG) data obtained at the following four observation sites; Esashi and Matsushiro in Japan, Canberra in Australia and Membach in Belgium. By fitting the tidal admittances normalized with the O1 wave at each site to a model of the damped harmonic oscillator, we obtained values of 429.66 ± 1.43 sidereal days, 9350–10,835, −4.828E−4 ± 3.4E−6, −3.0E−5 ± 4.5E−6 for the eigenperiod, the Q-value and the real and imaginary parts of the resonance strength, respectively. Our values obtained from only using the gravity data are very consistent with those inferred from the VLBI nutation data. Our study strongly indicates that the systematic difference between two estimations from the gravity and the nutation in particular for the Q-value, which has been shown in previous works, is mainly caused by the inaccurate correction for the ocean tide effects. The error in the ocean tide correction is discussed based on the comparison among four global ocean tide models; Schwiderski model (1980), NAO.99b (Matsumoto et al., 2000), CSR4.0 (Eanes and Bettadpur, 1994) and GOT99.2b (Ray, 1999).     

Tilt effects on GWR superconducting gravimeters

The superconducting gravimeters (SGs) are the most sensitive and stable gravity sensors currently available. The low drift and high sensitivity of these instruments allow to investigate several geophysical phenomena inducing small- and long-period gravity changes. In order to study such topics, any kind of disturbance of instrumental origin has to be identified and possibly modelled. A critical point in gravity measurement is the alignment of the gravimeter to the local vertical. In fact a tilt of the instrument will lead to an apparent gravity change and can affect the instrumental drift. To avoid these drawbacks, SGs are provided with an “active tilt feedback system” (ATFS) designed to keep the meter aligned to the vertical. We analyse tilt and environmental parameters collected near Strasbourg, France, since 1997 to study the source of the tilt changes and check the capability of the ATFS to compensate them. We also present the outcomes of a calibration test applied to the ATFS output to convert the Tilt Power signals into angles. We find that most of the observed signal has a thermal origin dominated by a strong annual component of about 200 μrad. Nevertheless, our analysis shows that even the tilt due to different geophysical phenomena, other than the thermal ones, can be detected. A clear tidal signal of about 0.05 μrad is detectable thanks to the large data stacking (>11 years). We conclude that (i) the ATFS device compensates the tilt having a thermal origin or coming from any sources and (ii) no significant tilt changes alter the gravity signal, except for the high frequency (>1 mHz) perturbations.     

武汉台重力潮汐长期观测结果

采用武汉台超导重力仪(SG C032)14年多的长期连续观测资料,研究了固体地球对二阶和三阶引潮力的响应特征,精密测定了重力潮汐参数,系统研究了最新的固体潮模型和海潮模型在中国大陆的有效性.采用最新的8个全球海潮模型计算了海潮负荷效应,从武汉台SG C032的观测中成功分离出63个2阶潮汐波群和15个3阶潮汐波群信号,3阶潮波涵盖了周日、半日和1/3日三个频段.重力潮汐观测的精度非常高,标准偏差达到1.116 nm·s^-2,系统反映了非流体静力平衡、非弹性地球对2阶和3阶引潮力的响应特征.结果表明,现有的武汉国际重力潮汐基准在半日频段非常精确,但在周日频段存在比较明显的偏差,需要进一步精化.对于中国大陆的大地测量观测,固体潮可以采用Dehant等考虑地球内部介质非弹性和非流体静力平衡建立的固体潮理论模型或Xu 等基于全球SG观测建立的重力潮汐全球实验模型作为参考和改正模型,海潮负荷效应应该采用Nao99作为改正模型.     

PROCESSING AND APPLICATIONS IN MICROGRAVITY SURVEYS*

An economic and precise processing system for microgravity surveys is presented. Three computer processing modes covering areal ground and underground measurements, measurements in vertical shafts, and measurements of vertical gravity gradients with a 3 m high tower are dealt with. Diagrams for manual calculation of gravity effects of prismatic walls, vertical shafts, and horizontal galleries, as well as programs for calculation of accurate terrain corrections and corrections for gravity effects of bodies with complicated ground-plan are proposed. The method of processing microgravity data is two to three times quicker than any traditional way, with maximum accuracy preserved in resulting gravity micro-anomalies. Applications from the field of mining geophysics and archaeology are included.     

基于集合经验模态分解法的重力极潮提取与研究

重力极潮,即极移引起的重力变化,是地球由于惯性离心力变化导致地球形变的综合反映,其观测和研究有助于了解地球在长周期频段的响应,约束地球形变、地球内部构造和物理参数.区别于以往研究,本文采用了集合经验模态分解方法（Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition,EEMD）从全球5个超导重力仪台站连续重力观测资料中提取重力极潮、消除仪器漂移及极潮频段以外的大部分噪声信号,该方法所用的基函数是基于自身信号获得的;在此基础上,利用最小二乘匹配法分离极潮中的周年项和Chandler项,估算Chandler周期的极潮潮汐因子.结果表明,基于EEMD得到的极潮潮汐因子与前人基于其他消除仪器漂移方法（数学模型或小波分析）得到的结果相符合,精度相当,但由于这种方法是自适应的,因此本文结果更能反映实际物理过程.     

中国大陆精密重力潮汐改正模型

利用理论和实验重力固体潮模型,充分考虑全球海潮和中国近海潮汐的负荷效应,建立了中国大陆的精密重力潮汐改正模型.结果表明,采用不同的固体潮模型会对重力潮汐结果产生相对变化幅度小于0.06％的差异;在沿海地区海潮负荷的影响约为整个潮汐的4％,而中部地区约为1％,其中中国近海潮汐模型的影响约占整个海潮负荷的10%,内插或外推潮波的负荷约占海潮负荷的3％.通过比较实测的重力数据表明,本文给出的重力潮汐改正模型的精度远远优于0.5×10^-8 m·s^-2,说明了本文构建的模型的实用性,可为中国大陆高精度重力测量提供有效参考和精密的改正模型.     

重力球面外部校正技术

山区重力勘探中，重力外部校正是重力勘探料处理和解释的前提，其内容包括地形校正、中间层校正等。本文在分析常规外部校正方法的基础上，提出了一套适合于山区重力勘探的球面地形校正及有限球壳中间层校正方法，并严格推出了球面地形校正公式。对中国南方ZJJ地区重力资料处理结果表明，该方法提高了地形校正的精度，使山区重力资料品质达到或接近平原区的水平。