Measuring gravity changes for decades

Scientific Conference (2020)

Hydrogeological effects on terrestrial gravity measurements

Scientific Conference (2019, December 10)

For the 20 last years, terrestrial and satellite gravity measurements have reached such a precision that they allow for identification of the signatures from water storage fluctuations. In particular ... [more ▼]

For the 20 last years, terrestrial and satellite gravity measurements have reached such a precision that they allow for identification of the signatures from water storage fluctuations. In particular, hydrogeological effects induce significant time-correlated signature in the gravity time series. Gravity response to rainfall is a complex function of the local geologic and climatic conditions, e.g., rock porosity, vegetation, evaporation, and runoff rates. The gravity signal combines contributions from many geophysical processes, source separation being a major challenge. At the local scale and short-term, the associated gravimetric signatures often exceed the tectonic and GIA effects, and monitoring gravity changes is a source of information on local groundwater mass balance, and contributes to model calibrations. Some aquifer main characteristics can then be inferred by combining continuous gravity, geophysical and hydrogeological measurements. In Membach, Belgium, a superconducting gravimeter has monitored gravity continuously for more than 24 years. This long time series, together with 300 repeated absolute gravity measurements and environmental monitoring, has provided valuable information on the instrumental, metrological, hydrogeological and geophysical points of view. This has allowed separating the signal sources and monitoring partial saturation dynamics in the unsaturated zone, convective precipitation and evapotranspiration at a scale of up to 1 km², for signals smaller than 1 nm/s², equivalent to 2.5 mm of water. Based on this experience, another superconducting gravimeter was installed in 2014 in the karst zone of Rochefort, Belgium. In a karst area, where the vadose zone is usually thicker than in other contexts, combining gravity measurements at the surface and inside accessible caves is a way to separate the contribution from the unsaturated zone lying between the two instruments, from the saturated zone underneath the cave, and the common mode effects from the atmosphere or other regional processes. Those experiments contribute to the assessment of the terrestrial hydrological cycle, which is a major challenge of the geosciences associated with key societal issues: availability of freshwater, mitigation of flood hazards, or measurement of evapotranspiration. [less ▲]

How radar can be supported by gravimeters for estimating hail intensity

Scientific Conference (2018)

The gravity of geophysics

in EOS (2017), 98

Temporal variation of tidal parameters in superconducting gravimeter time-series

in Geophysical Journal International (2016), 205(1), 284-300

Analysing independent 1-yr data sets of 10 European superconducting gravimeters (SG) reveals statistically significant temporal variations of M2 tidal parameters. Both common short-term (<2 yr) and long ... [more ▼]

Analysing independent 1-yr data sets of 10 European superconducting gravimeters (SG) reveals statistically significant temporal variations of M2 tidal parameters. Both common short-term (<2 yr) and long-term (>2 yr) features are identified in all SG time-series but one. The averaged variations of the amplitude factor are about 0.2‰. The path of load vector variations equivalent to the temporal changes of tidal parameters suggests the presence of an 8.85 yr modulation (lunar perigee). The tidal waves having the potential to modulate M2 with this period belong to the 3rd degree constituents. Their amplitude factors turn out to be much closer to body tide model predictions than that of the main 2nd degree M2, which indicates ocean loading for 3rd degree waves to be less prominent than for 2nd degree waves within the M2 group. These two different responses to the loading suggest that the observed modulation is more due to insufficient frequency resolution of limited time-series rather than to time variable loading. Presently, SG gravity time-series are still too short to prove if time variable loading processes are involved too as in case of the annual M2 modulation known to appear for analysis intervals of less than 1 yr. Whatever the variations are caused by, they provide the upper accuracy limit for earth model validation and permit estimating the temporal stability of SG scale factors and assessing the quality of gravity time-series. [less ▲]

The quest for a consistent signal in ground and GRACE gravity time series

in Geophysical Journal International (2014), 197

Comparison between the Transfer Functions of three Superconducting Gravimeters

in Marées Terrestres Bulletin d'Informations (2011), 147

Revisiting absolute gravimeter intercomparisons

in Metrologia (2011), 48

Is the instrumental drift of superconducting gravimeters a linear or exponential function of time?

in Journal of Geodesy (2007), 81(5), 337-344

Indication of the uplift of the Ardenne in long-term gravity variations in Membach (Belgium)

in Geophysical Journal International (2004), 158(1), 346-352

We report on the results of 7 yr of collocated gravity observations made with an FG5 abso- lute (AG) gravimeter and a GWR C-Series superconducting gravimeter (SG) located at the Membach Geophysical ... [more ▼]

We report on the results of 7 yr of collocated gravity observations made with an FG5 abso- lute (AG) gravimeter and a GWR C-Series superconducting gravimeter (SG) located at the Membach Geophysical Station in eastern Belgium. The SG gravity residuals track changes in gravity periodically observed by the AG, at the microgal level. Further, in the SG resid- ual signal we distinguish a quasi-seasonal term that can be mostly explained by variations in local water storage effects. In the AG time-series we observe a small trend in the gravity of −0.6 ± 0.1 μGal yr−1 perhaps indicating that the Membach Station is being displaced up- wards by about 3.0 mm yr−1. An uplift of the region is confirmed by Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements performed 3 km away. We are able to explain the features in the gravity time-series in terms of water storage variability, post-glacial rebound and tectonic activity. [less ▲]