Gravity Interpretation

Gravity interpretation involves inversion of data into models, but it is more. Gravity interpretation is used in a “holistic” sense going beyond “inversion”. Inversion is like optimization within certain a priori assumptions, i.e., all anticipated models lie in a limited domain of the a priori errors. No source should exist outside the anticipated model volume, but that is never literally true. Interpretation goes beyond by taking “outside” possibilities into account in the widest sense. Any neglected possibility carries the danger of seriously affecting the interpretation. Gravity interpretation pertains to wider questions such as the shape of the Earth, the nature of the continental and oceanic crust, isostasy, forces and stresses, geol- ical structure, nding useful resources, climate change, etc. Interpretation is often used synonymously with modelling and inversion of observations toward models. Interpretation places the inversion results into the wider geological or economic context and into the framework of science and humanity. Models play a central role in science. They are images of phenomena of the physical world, for example, scale images or metaphors, enabling the human mind to describe observations and re- tionships by abstract mathematical means. Models served orientation and survival in a complex, partly invisible physical and social environment.

"This combination textbook and reference manual provides a comprehensive account of the principles, practices, and application of gravity and magnetic methods for exploring the subsurface using surface, marine, airborne, and satellite measurements. Key current topics and techniques are described, including high-resolution magnetic investigations, time-variation gravity analysis from surface and satellite gravity measurements, absolute and gradient gravimetry, and the role of GPS in mapping gravity and magnetic fields. The book also describes the physical properties of rocks and other earth materials that are critical to the effective design, implementation and interpretation of surveys, and presents a thorough overview of digital data analysis methods used to process and interpret anomalies for subsurface information. This book is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, but also serves as a reference for research academics, professional geophysicists, and managers of exploration programs that include gravity and magnetic methods. It is a valuable resource for all those interested in petroleum, engineering, mineral, environmental, geological and archeological exploration of the lithosphere"--

A one-stop manual for graduate students and professionals, combining introductory gravity survey procedures with full explanations of analysis techniques.

This combination of textbook and reference manual provides a comprehensive account of gravity and magnetic methods for exploring the subsurface using surface, marine, airborne and satellite measurements. It describes key current topics and techniques, physical properties of rocks and other earth materials, and digital data analysis methods used to process and interpret anomalies for subsurface information. Each chapter starts with an overview and concludes by listing key concepts to consolidate new learning. An accompanying website presents problem sets and interactive computer-based exercises, providing hands-on experience of processing, modeling and interpreting data. A comprehensive online suite of full-color case histories illustrates the practical utility of modern gravity and magnetic surveys. This is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses and reference text for research academics and professional geophysicists. It is a valuable resource for all those interested in petroleum, engineering, mineral, environmental, geological and archeological exploration of the lithosphere.

Gravity surveys have a huge range of applications, indicating density variations in the subsurface and identifying man-made structures, local changes of rock type or even deep-seated structures at the crust/mantle boundary. This important one-stop book combines an introductory manual of practical procedures with a full explanation of analysis techniques, enabling students, geophysicists, geologists and engineers to understand the methodology, applications and limitations of a gravity survey. Filled with examples from a wide variety of acquisition problems, the book instructs students in avoiding common mistakes and misconceptions. It explores the increasing near-surface geophysical applications being opened up by improvements in instrumentation and provides more advance-level material as a useful introduction to potential theory. This is a key text for graduate students of geophysics and for professionals using gravity surveys, from civil engineers and archaeologists to oil and mineral prospectors and geophysicists seeking to learn more about the Earth's deep interior.

This book deals with different aspects of gravity that has proved its effectiveness throughout the world, hence their solicitation in recent years. Fundamental theories, applications, and tools have been presented, emphasizing the implementation of the gravity technique. Different research themes for diverse areas in the world are detailed here, highlighting new methods of studies that could be helpful for sophisticated and modern development over the next few years. Four main sections are presented: Gravity Interpretation Tools in Geoscience, Gravity in Geoscience Applications, Gravity in Industrial Technology, and Quantum Gravity. Theoretical and acquisition tools and adapted processing methods have been designed to take into account the initial data, and modeling results thus converge toward a better solution. This book, which makes a worthwhile contribution to the topic gravity, is specifically addressed to specialists, researchers, and industry professionals who shall find its content extremely useful for a better comprehension of the geological, spatial, and industrial aspects of gravity.

The subjects of the papers that make up the volume vary from the preparation of national maps to examples of the many uses of regional maps. The anomalities that are discussed range in areal dimension from hundreds of kilometers to tons of meters. The majority of the papers illustrate the utility of the maps in mapping structures and lithologic variations wirhin the continenetal crust, the configuration of the crystalline basements rocks, zones of crustal weakness, distribution of extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks and the geometry of sedimentary basins. Most cases are drawn from the United States and Canada, but examples from Europe, Africa, South America and Asia are included.