A simple direct method for computing the parameters of a buried disc from the results of a gravity survey

Abstract

The vertical component of the gravitational field across a right vertical disc may be formulated in terms of elliptic integrals. This may be transformed into a more manageable form by the Hankel transform. The transformed integrals give relationships from which a unique solution for the radius of the disc, the thickness and the depth of burial may be readily obtained, for a given density. The method has been programmed for a computer and has been found to produce rapid and reliable results.