Satellite Gravity and the Geosphere: Contributions to the Study of the Solid Earth and Its Fluid Envelopes - Softcover

National Research Council; Division On Earth And Life Studies; Commission On Geosciences, Environment And Resources; Committee On Earth Gravity From Space

 
9780309057929: Satellite Gravity and the Geosphere: Contributions to the Study of the Solid Earth and Its Fluid Envelopes
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0309057922 ISBN 13: 9780309057929
Publisher: National Academies Press, 1997

Synopsis

For the past three decades, it has been possible to measure the earth's static gravity from satellites. Such measurements have been used to address many important scientific problems, including the earth's internal structure, and geologically slow processes like mantle convection. In principle, it is possible to resolve the time-varying component of the gravity field by improving the accuracy of satellite gravity measurements.

These temporal variations are caused by dynamic processes that change the mass distribution in the earth, oceans, and atmosphere. Acquisition of improved time-varying gravity data would open a new class of important scientific problems to analysis, including crustal motions associated with earthquakes and changes in groundwater levels, ice dynamics, sea-level changes, and atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns.

This book evaluates the potential for using satellite technologies to measure the time-varying component of the gravity field and assess the utility of these data for addressing problems of interest to the earth sciences, natural hazards, and resource communities.

Table of Contents
  • FRONT MATTER
  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • 1 INTRODUCTION
  • 2 MISSION SCENARIOS AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
  • 3 THE GRAVITY FIELD AS A TOOL FOR SCIENCE
  • 4 OCEAN DYNAMICS AND HEAT FLUX
  • 5 SOLID EARTH PROCESSES
  • 6 WATER CYCLING
  • 7 SEA-LEVEL CHANGE
  • 8 THE DYNAMIC ATMOSPHERE: UNRAVELING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE EARTH'S SUBSYSTEMS
  • 9 CONCLUSIONS
  • AFTERWORD
  • APPENDIX A
  • APPENDIX B
  • ACRONYMS
  • REFERENCES

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Committee on Earth Gravity from Space, National Research Council

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
National Academies Press
Publication date
1997
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0309057922
ISBN 13 
9780309057929
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
126