Application of curvatures to airborne gravity gradients

Abstract

The application of equipotential surface curvatures to airborne gravity gradient data is presented. The differential curvature, as measured by the FALCON? airborne gravity gradiometer system, the mean curvature, and the direction of maximum curvature of the equipotential surface should improve the understanding and geological interpretation of gravity gradient data. It has been shown that the horizontal gradients of the vertical component of the gravity vector form the curvature of the gravity field line. As this line is orthogonal to the equipotential surface, its curvature is related to how successive equipotential surfaces change and it may not be needed to interpret. The theoretical basis for the method is discussed. Practical applications of utilising the curvature method are presented on a synthetic model and FALCON? airborne gravity gradiometer data from the western zone of the Halls Creek Orogen, Western Australia.