Time Variations In Gravity And Inferences On The Earth's Structure And Dynamics

Abstract

This paper reviews how the study of the surface gravity changes is able to provide useful information on the Earth's structure and global dynamics. The spectral range which is observable with superconducting gravimeters is broad and goes from the seismic frequency band to periods longer than one year. We first investigate the seismic and sub-seismic bands with a special attention paid to the gravity detection of core modes in the liquid core and to the Slichter mode of translation of the solid inner core. In the tidal bands, we show how accurate measurements allow us to infer constraints on various phenomena such as mantle (an-)elasticity, as well as ocean and atmospheric loading. The observation of the Free Core Nutation resonance in the diurnal frequency band is reviewed and indirectly suggests an increase in the ellipticity of the core-mantle boundary with respect to its hydrostatic value. A similar resonance is also theoretically predicted in the diurnal band for the rotation of the solid inner core (Free Inner Core Nutation) but we show that its detection is much more difficult because of the small amplitude and lack of a nearby tidal frequency. Oceanic and atmospheric loading mechanisms induce gravity changes over a wide spectral range and we present some recent progress in this field. Finally, because superconducting gravimeters have high calibration stability and small long-term instrumental drift, they can easily measure longperiod gravity variations due to polar motion and hydrogeology.