Meteorological impact on gravimeter and seismometer readings

Abstract

Background. The density of atmospheric air varies with temperature. Therefore, variations in the atmospheric layer temperature leads the emergence of local gravity anomalies. The amplitude of such anomalies can exceed ±0.1 mGal. The results obtained by the Arti Geophysical Observatory(Yekaterinburg, Russia) on the non-tidal variations of gravity confirm the influence of temperature variations on gravimeter readings, which may significantly exceed the calculated data. Aim. To assess the impact of weather changes on seismic and gravity fields.Materials and methods. At the RAS Bishkek Geodynamic Test Area (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), RAS Institute of Geophysics (Yekaterinburg, Russia) and Zapolye Observatory (Vladimir, Russia), gravity was measured by CG-5 AUTOGRAV gravimeters. At the Shults Cape (Vladivostok, Russia), Arti (Yekaterinburg, Russia) and BFO (Black Forest, Germany [10]) observatories, gravimetric measurements were conducted by La Coste & Romberg tidal gravimeters. Results. Variations in the atmospheric layer temperature were found to lead to the emergence of local gravity anomalies. The amplitude of such anomalies can exceed ±0.1 mGal. The results obtained by the Arti Geophysical Observatory (Yekaterinburg, Russia) on the non-tidal variations of gravity confirm the influence of temperature on gravimeter readings, which may significantly exceed the calculated data. Conclusion. Meteorological processes, such as liquid-water content and the Earth’s atmospheric temperature, affect the readings of gravimeters and seismometers. The atmospheric air density varies with temperature. Along with temperature, gravimeters and seismometers are affected by pressure, humidity and water content of the atmosphere. This is related to atmospheric deformations under the influence of the Moon and the Sun. Meteor streams and their impact on the Earth’s atmosphere have the greatest influence on the readings of gravimeters and seismometers.