Airborne Gradiometry Error Analysis

Gravity gradiometry is one of the older methods of determining the Earth’s local gravitational field, but lies in the shadow of more conventional static and moving-base gravimeter-based systems. While the static torsion balance appears to have been relegated to the museum, support for the airborne and space-borne differential accelerometer (gradiometer) continues so as to overcome limitations in spatial resolution and accuracy inherent in ordinary moving-base gravimetry. One airborne system exists, building on 30 year old technology concepts, and new technologies (e.g., cold-atom interferometry) promise significant improvements. Concomitant advances are required to measure accurately the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the platform, which inseparably combine (in an absolute sense) with the Earth’s gravitational gradients. A numerical analysis of instrument errors, with simulated aircraft dynamics, shows that navigation-grade gyros are just sufficient to account for these effects in gradiometers with 1E/ $$\sqrt{{\rm Hz}}$$ sensitivity. More accurate instruments, with 0.1 E/ $$\sqrt{{\rm Hz}}$$ sensitivity, require commensurate sensitivity in the gyros, of the order of 0.01°/h/ $$\sqrt{{\rm Hz}}$$ = 1.5\times10−4 ° \ $$\sqrt{{Hz}}$$ for typical survey aircraft dynamics. On the other hand, typical orientation errors in the platform, which are problematic for vector gravimetry, are much less of a concern in gradiometry. They couple to the gradient signals and affect only the very low frequencies of the total gradient error.