Kl. Mickus et Jh. Hinojosa, The complete gravity gradient tensor derived from the vertical component of gravity: a Fourier transform technique, J APP GEOPH, 46(3), 2001, pp. 159-174
A technique has been to developed to determine the complete gravity gradien
t tensor from pre-existing vertical gravity data using the fast Fourier Tra
nsform (FFT). Since direct measurement of the entire gravity gradient tenso
r is generally unavailable, our technique provides an alternative determina
tion of the gravity gradient tensor components. Traditionally, derivatives
of vertical gravity (g(z,x), g(z,y), and g(z,z)) have been the only gravity
gradient tensor components that have been computed directly. Gravity gradi
ent tensor components are computed for four different. three-dimensional (3
-D), idealized horst-and-graben models, with varying depths to the horst. C
omparing the FFT results with calculated gradient components from the 3-D m
odels shows that the RMS error for each component, between the two results,
is at most similar to 3.3 Eotvos Units. In addition, measured gravity grad
ient components from an airborne survey over the Wichita Uplift and Anadark
o Basin region of southwest Oklahoma compare favorably with the FFT-derived
results using available vertical gravity data. No error analysis was attem
pted between the two results due to a low signal-to-noise ratio in the meas
ured data. Our technique offers a novel way to transform and visualize the
available data, and it also offers an inexpensive and previously unavailabl
e subsurface mapping capability. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V
.