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…     

Study of the Earth’s free core nutation by tidal gravity data recorded with international superconducting gravimeters

By stacking high-precision tidal gravity observations obtained with superconducting gravimeters at six stations in China, Japan, Belgium, France, Germany and Finland, the local systematical discrepancies in the parameter fitting, caused by atmospheric, oceanic tidal loading and the other local environmental perturbations, are eliminated effectively. As a result, the resonance parameters of the Earth’s free core nutation are accurately determined. In this study, the eigenperiod of free core nutation is given as 429.0 sidereal days, which is in agreement with those published in the previous studies. It is about 30 sidereal days less than those calculated in theoretical models (about 460 sidereal days), which confirms the real ellipticity of the fluid core of the Earth to be about 5% larger than the one expected in assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium. The quality factor (Q value) of free core nutation is given as about 9543, which, compared with those determined before based on the body tide observations, is much larger, but more close to those obtained using the VLBI observations. The complex resonance strength is also determined as (−6.10×10⁻⁴, −0.01 ×10⁻⁴)°/h, which can principally describe the deformation characteristics of an anelastic mantle.     

武汉基准台超导重力仪重力潮汐观测结果

本文采用重力残差信号对武汉基准台超导重力仪的原始观测数据（２０秒采样）作预处理，将原始观测信号分解成重力潮汐和残差两部分，在残差信号中消除一些已知的干扰因素的影响。利用ＥＴＥＲＮＡ软件作调和分析，两主波（Ｏ１和Ｍ２）的重力潮汐参数（振幅因子和相位滞后）为：Ｏ１：１．１７８８±０．０００６，－０．５９７５°±０．０２８°；Ｍ２：１．１７１３±０．０００２，－０．５８７３°±０．００８°经海潮改正以后，Ｏ１和Ｍ２波的潮汐参数与Ｗａｈｒ－Ｄｅｈａｎｔ潮汐模型值相比，振幅因子的偏差优于０．１％。     

Wavelet filter analysis of atmospheric pressure effects in the long-period seismic mode band

The importance of the reduction of atmospheric pressure effects becomes very clear when investigating seismic normal-mode spectra below 1.5 mHz. The usual simple correction method consists in subtracting a term converted from local atmospheric pressure (pressure multiplied by a frequency-independent admittance) from the gravity record in time domain. Thus, estimating an efficient admittance is the key for an improved correction. Band-pass filters derived from dyadic orthogonal wavelet transform, having narrow pass-bands with good frequency response but without Gibbs phenomenon and causing no phase lag, are very helpful to estimate an efficient admittance, which is both time and frequency-dependent. Processing of high quality superconducting gravimeter (SG) records for the great Sumatra earthquake (Mw = 9.3, Dec 26, 2004) with wavelet filters reveal the three very well resolved splitting singlets of overtone ₂S₁ with a single gravity record after correction with time-dependent and frequency-dependent admittances. We also observe all coupled toroidal modes below 1.5 mHz, except ₀T₅, ₀T₇ and ₁T₁, with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); moreover, toroidal modes ₁T₂ and ₁T₃ are for the first time unambiguously revealed in vertical components.     

Correcting superconducting gravity time-series using rainfall modelling at the Vienna and Membach stations and application to Earth tide analysis

We demonstrate the possibility to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of superconducting gravity time-series by correcting for local hydrological effects. Short-term atmospheric events associated with heavy rain induce step-like gravity signals that deteriorate the frequency spectrum estimates. Based on 4D modeling constrained by high temporal resolution rain gauge data, rainfall admittances for the Vienna and Membach superconducting gravity stations are calculated. This allows routine correction for Newtonian rain water effects, which reduces the standard deviation of residuals after tidal parameter adjustment by 10%. It also improves the correction of steps of instrumental origin when they coincide with step-like water mass signals.     

Scale factor calibration of a superconducting gravimeter at Esashi Station, Japan, using absolute gravity measurements

The scale factor of a superconducting gravimeter (SG) at the Esashi Earth Tides Station, Japan, was revised by repeating co-located absolute gravity measurements with an FG5 gravimeter. Although the calibration results from the absolute gravimeter (AG) show an apparent secular change in the scale factor of the SG (0.4% for the period 1993–2002), the relative scale factors, which are determined by tidal analysis with the response method, indicate that it has changed by no more than 0.01% during the above period. If the mean scale factor over the 10 years is adopted, a value of –56.082±0.029 Gal/V (1 Gal =10^–8 m s^–2) is obtained, which is about 0.4% smaller than that used in the global geodynamics project (GGP) database. Based on this newly determined scale factor, the tidal gravity factors at Esashi have been re-estimated. The observed tidal factors, corrected for the ocean tide effects with recent models, indicate that the theoretical gravity factors for an inelastic Earth model are more consistent with the observations than are those for an elastic model.     

gPhone重力仪的面波频段响应实测研究

以中国大陆构造环境监测网络昆明台和恩施台gPhone相对重力仪连续重力潮汐观测数据为基础,研究了gPhone重力仪在1 mHz以上频段的高频响应。从瑞利面波角度获得gPhone重力仪的高频响应,并且通过与同址观测的STS-1地震仪LHZ分量数据进行对比,验证了gPhone重力仪高频观测结果的可靠性。对比从gPhone重力仪和STS-1地震仪观测数据中提取到的面波波形和群速度频散曲线,发现昆明台两类仪器观测到面波信号的振幅和相位都较为一致,而恩施台仅振幅较为一致,相位上存在较明显差异,gPhone重力仪记录的面波信号在各频段存在不同的时间延迟。用两类仪器观测数据获得了大地震激发的自由振荡,结果表明两类仪器观测到的基频球型模态自由振荡的频率和振幅都吻合较好,进一步验证了gPhone重力仪对高频频段信号振幅响应的可靠性。以上研究结果表明:利用gPhone重力仪能够准确地观测到大地震激发的面波和自由振荡等高频信号的振幅,但在记录信号的相位信息时,有些仪器会有相位偏移产生,如果研究中需要考虑信号的相位,则必须获得仪器相位偏移量,再进行仪器相位校正。     

用超导重力仪的潮汐观测资料研究海潮模型

系统研究了潮汐观测资料中海潮模型的适应性问题,用基于数值离散褶积积分方法获得的海潮负荷对武昌超导重务仪观测资料作负荷改正。结果说明,海潮负荷改正后的重力场观测残差大大降低了,与理论潮汐参数模型相比,８个主要潮流的平均振幅因子由改正前的１．３８％降至０．１３％和０．２６％。     

Time stability of spring and superconducting gravimeters through the analysis of very long gravity records

Long gravity records are of great interest when performing tidal analyses. Indeed, long series enable to separate contributions of near-frequency waves and also to detect low frequency signals (e.g. long period tides and polar motion). In addition to the length of the series, the quality of the data and the temporal stability of the noise are also very important. We study in detail some of the longest gravity records available in Europe: 3 data sets recorded with spring gravimeters in Black Forest Observatory (Germany, 1980–2012), Walferdange (Luxemburg, 1980–1995) and Potsdam (Germany, 1974–1998) and several superconducting gravimeters (SGs) data sets, with at least 9 years of continuous records, at different European GGP (Global Geodynamics Project) sites (Bad Homburg, Brussels, Medicina, Membach, Moxa, Vienna, Wettzell and Strasbourg). The stability of each instrument is investigated using the temporal variations of tidal parameters (amplitude factor and phase difference) for the main tidal waves (O1, K1, M2 and S2) as well as the M2/O1 factor ratio, the later being insensitive to the instrumental calibration. The long term stability of the tidal observations is also dependent on the stability of the scale factor of the relative gravimeters. Therefore we also check the time stability of the scale factor for the superconducting gravimeter C026 installed at the J9 Gravimetric Observatory of Strasbourg (France), using numerous calibration experiments carried out by co-located absolute gravimeter (AG) measurements during the last 15 years. The reproducibility of the scale factor and the achievable precision are investigated by comparing the results of different calibration campaigns. Finally we present a spectrum of the 25 years of SG records at J9 Observatory, with special attention to small amplitude tides in the semi-diurnal and diurnal bands, as well as to the low frequency part.