The first pan-Alpine surface-gravity database, a modern compilation that crosses frontiers

<p>The AlpArray Gravity Research Group (AAGRG), as part of the European AlpArray program, focuses on the compilation of a homogeneous surface-based gravity data set across the Alpine area. In 2017 10 European countries in the Alpine realm agreed to contribute with gravity data for a new compil...

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Main Authors: P. Zahorec, J. Papčo, R. Pašteka, M. Bielik, S. Bonvalot, C. Braitenberg, J. Ebbing, G. Gabriel, A. Gosar, A. Grand, H.-J. Götze, G. Hetényi, N. Holzrichter, E. Kissling, U. Marti, B. Meurers, J. Mrlina, E. Nogová, A. Pastorutti, C. Salaun, M. Scarponi, J. Sebera, L. Seoane, P. Skiba, E. Szűcs, M. Varga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2021-05-01
Series:Earth System Science Data
Online Access:https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/2165/2021/essd-13-2165-2021.pdf
Description
Summary:<p>The AlpArray Gravity Research Group (AAGRG), as part of the European AlpArray program, focuses on the compilation of a homogeneous surface-based gravity data set across the Alpine area. In 2017 10 European countries in the Alpine realm agreed to contribute with gravity data for a new compilation of the Alpine gravity field in an area spanning from 2 to 23<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> E and from 41 to 51<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> N. This compilation relies on existing national gravity databases and, for the Ligurian and the Adriatic seas, on shipborne data of the Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine and of the Bureau Gravimétrique International. Furthermore,<span id="page2166"/> for the Ivrea zone in the Western Alps, recently acquired data were added to the database. This first pan-Alpine gravity data map is homogeneous regarding input data sets, applied methods and all corrections, as well as reference frames.</p> <p>Here, the AAGRG presents the data set of the recalculated gravity fields on a 4 km <span class="inline-formula">×</span> 4 km grid for public release and a 2 km <span class="inline-formula">×</span> 2 km grid for special request. The final products also include calculated values for mass and bathymetry corrections of the measured gravity at each grid point, as well as height. This allows users to use later customized densities for their own calculations of mass corrections. Correction densities used are 2670 kg m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> for landmasses, 1030 kg m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> for water masses above the ellipsoid and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>1640 kg m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> for those below the ellipsoid and 1000 kg m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> for lake water masses. The correction radius was set to the Hayford zone O<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> (167 km). The new Bouguer anomaly is station completed (CBA) and compiled according to the most modern criteria and reference frames (both positioning and gravity), including atmospheric corrections. Special emphasis was put on the gravity effect of the numerous lakes in the study area, which can have an effect of up to 5 mGal for gravity stations located at shorelines with steep slopes, e.g., for the rather deep reservoirs in the Alps. The results of an error statistic based on cross validations and/or “interpolation residuals” are provided for the entire database. As an example, the interpolation residuals of the Austrian data set range between about <span class="inline-formula">−</span>8 and <span class="inline-formula">+</span>8 mGal and the cross-validation residuals between <span class="inline-formula">−</span>14 and <span class="inline-formula">+</span>10 mGal; standard deviations are well below 1 mGal. The accuracy of the newly compiled gravity database is close to <span class="inline-formula">±</span>5 mGal for most areas.</p> <p>A first interpretation of the new map shows that the resolution of the gravity anomalies is suited for applications ranging from intra-crustal- to crustal-scale modeling to interdisciplinary studies on the regional and continental scales, as well as applications as joint inversion with other data sets. The data are published with the DOI <a href="https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2020.045">https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2020.045</a> (Zahorec et al., 2021) via GFZ Data Services.</p>
ISSN:1866-3508
1866-3516