ES416A, IITK : AM 14‐01‐2024

Exploration Geophysics
(ES416A)

Gravity Method: Measuring gravity

Dr. Animesh Mandal

Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Copyright: “The instructor of this course owns the copyright of all the course materials. This lecture material was distributed only to the students
attending the course ‘ES416A: Exploration Geophysics’ of IIT Kanpur and should not be distributed in print or through electronic media without
the consent of the instructor. Students can make their own copies of the course materials for their use.” 1/12

AG - 2.4
IGE - 6.4

Measuring ‘g’
• Crust contribute a tiny fraction of total Earth’s mass 0.4%
– Gravity field variation related to crustal features are very small (~1 mGal or less)
compared with the absolute value of gravity

• ‘g’ at the Earth’s surface ~ 980,000 mGal

– Require resolutions of about 0.01 mGal or better, roughly 10-8 or 10 billionths of g!

– Gravity measurement (g) are of two types so as the measuring instruments

 Fixed bulky
• Need to measure g to  Large measuring period
better than 1 part in 1
million

• Requires instruments
sensitive to relative  Portable
changes in g  High Measuring speed
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Measuring Absolute Gravity

• Timing falling objects

– Only practical in lab
• Measuring Pendulum
Periods
– Requires a bulky apparatus
– Not practical to lug around in
the field
– For 1 mGal precision distance
(1-2 m) should known at 5
Absolute Gravimeter: FG5; FG‐5X 3/12
micro m and t at 10-8 s
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Measuring Relative Gravity

• Previous generations of relative reading instruments
were based on
– Small pendulums or

– The oscillation of torsion fibres

– Although portable, took considerable time to read

• Modern instruments called Gravimeter

– Capable of rapid measurements

– Spring mass balance system

– Variation of weight of mass causes change in

spring length (Δs)

• Follows Hooke’s Law: ΔF = −k Δs, k = spring constant

• Δg = −k Δs/m
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Measuring Relative Gravity: Stable Gravimeter

∆ ∆
• Sensitivity of gravimeter
∆
: ∆𝑠 & 𝑇 2𝜋 ;

∆
– Thus, ∝𝑇
∆

• Gravimeter: stable or static & unstable

or astatic

• Stable gravimeter (early 1930):

– From Hooke’s law: if Δg/g = 10−6, then Δs/s = 10−6;

• 0.1 mGal accuracy > 1/107 fraction in spring length

– High m/k ratio, more sensitive instrument

• In practice, system liable to collapse (as large mass & Week spring)

– Spring is doing both supporting mass and measure the data  not sensitive
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Measuring Relative Gravity: Unstable Gravimeter

• Solution: a system with no effective restoring
force “unstable gravimeter” 𝑚
𝑇 2𝜋
𝑘
– Movement away from equilibrium mechanically amplified

– Infinite periodicity mechanical amplification 

increases sensitivity

• Requires high optical, mechanical or electronic magnification

• Unstable or astatic gravimeter (1930 & after)

– Employ an additional force: Negative Restoring force

• Amplifies movement of the mass higher sensitivity

– Usually operated as Null Type instruments: Zero or

Null position
Thyssen Gravimeter
– E.g., Thyssen, LaCoste and Romberg, Worden, (Obsolete)
Sintrex CG-3,5 gravimeter.
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Unstable Gravimeter contd…

• Vertically oriented, simple
spring/mass system,

– Serves both support the mass and

measure data

– Requires a weak spring

– Solution: incline the spring away from Force vs spring length, for a real “zero
vertical and zero length spring length spring”

• Zero-length spring: Specially

design spring with built in tension

– Restoring force proportional to length

– Existence of a threshold force

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Unstable Gravimeter contd…

• Lacoste-Romberg gravimeter: ‘c’ is initial
upstretched
length of
– Two torques: gravitational and spring spring

– Must balance each other for any angle of

beam (theta)

– As if restoring force is not there system will

have infinite period

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Unstable Gravimeter contd…

• LaCoste-Romberg gravimeter contd…

– 𝑔 𝑔 𝑠 and deafferenting w.r.t. spring length s

– 𝛿𝑔 𝛿𝑠

– ‘δg’ Independent of ‘theta’

– As ‘δs’ can be large if one or more of these factors

reduced  Higher sensitivity 9/12

Unstable Gravimeter contd…

 Lacoste-Romberg &
Worden more popularly
used in explorations.
 Both of them are Null or
zero-apparatuses.
Worden gravimeters
 Mass = 5 mg, quartz
spring
 Sensitivity 0.01 mGal

Scintrex CG5
 Latest gravimeter able to
measure to 1 part per billion, or 1
microGal, variation
 Even less ~0.0001 mGal, possible
in Continuous mode reading
(filtered)
 Android platform Scintrex CG6
ZLS Burris
 Very high working range 10/12

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Gravity Surveys
• Based on operation platform four modes of gravity surveys
Satellite survey
G : Global
(SR, R, L)
R : Regional
SR : Semi regional (G)
(SR, R)
L : Local

Satellite gravity missions CHAMP,

GRACE, and GOCE, etc. for
monitoring mass and mass transport
in the Earth system
CHAMP: Challenging Minisatellite
Payload; Germany 2000-2010
(SR, R) GRACE: Gravity Recovery and
Climate Experiments, twin satellites
•Marine operations (200 km apart in polar orbit, 500 km
above); launched in March 2002;
• sea bed measurements
NASA (US) and DLR(Germany);
• ship-borne surveys measures time variations gravity
field

 LandMarineAirborneSatellite: GOCE: Gravity field and steady-

state Ocean Circulation Explorer;
European Space Agency (EPA);
 Decreasing accuracy and precision, launched 17th March 2009;
measures the static gravity field
 Increasing costs, and spatial dimensions of the target 11/12

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Suggested Reading Materials

• Along with this class notes please read the following materials.
• Relevant sections of Chapter 2 of the book titled ‘Applied Geophysics’ by
Telford et al.
• Relevant sections of Chapter 6 of the book titled ‘Introduction to
Geophysical Exploration’ by Kearey et al.

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