preliminary discussion on horizontal gravity gradient and its application to seismic gravity precursor research

In this paper, according to the synthetic gravity anomaly of a horizontally infinite cylindrical geologic body, gravity gradient in horizontal direction was calculated by potential field discrete cosine transformation in frequency domain. In the calculation, the minimum curvature method was used to extend edge lines. We found that the gravity gradient field from the potential field transformation was dependable by comparison with synthetic gravity gradient, except the data in the edges. Then, the accumulative horizontal gravity gradients before Lushan M_S7.0 earthquake were calculated for the accumulative gravity anomaly from September 2010 to October 2012. In the north-south direction, gravity gradient in Daofu-Kangding-Shimian and Markang-Lixian-Lushan exhibited a positive high value, and the strike of the high value zone was in line with the strike of Xianshuihe Faults and Markang Faults. In the east-west direction, high value zone was not as obvious as that in the north-south direction. Gravity gradients in the direction along and vertical to the strike of Longmenshan Faults were calculated by the definition of directional derivative. In the along-strike direction, high gravity gradient values appeared in Markang-Lixian areas along Markang Faults and Daofu-Kangding-Shimian areas along Xianshuihe Faults, and extremum appeared in Kangding-Shimian and the area nearby Lixian. In the direction vertical to the strike of Longmenshan fault zone, high gravity gradient values appeared in Lixian-Lushan-Kangding-Shimian areas, and the extremum appeared in the area nearby Kangding. The results indicate that gravity gradient in the direction along and vertical to the strike of faults can better show the relative gravity change on the two sides of faults. Lushan M_S7.0 earthquake is located at the transition zone between the two high value zones of gravity gradient. The total horizontal gravity gradient shows that the location and strike of the high value zone are basically consistent with regional faults, and the extremums of total horizontal gravity gradient appeared nearby Lixian, Kangding and Shimian.