The radial integral of the geopotential

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23520%2F25%3A43975725" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23520/25:43975725 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10712-025-09893-9" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10712-025-09893-9</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10712-025-09893-9" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10712-025-09893-9</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The radial integral of the geopotential

Original language description

In Newtonian theory of gravitation, used in Earth’s and planetary sciences, gravitational acceleration is standardly regarded as the most fundamental parameter that describes any vectorial gravitational field. Considering only conservative gravitational field, the vectorial field can be described by a scalar function of 3D position called the gravitational potential from which other parameters (particularly the gravitational attraction and the gravitational gradient) are derived by applying the gradient operators. Gradients of the Earth’s gravity potential are nowadays measured with high accuracy and applied in various geodetic and geophysical applications. In geodesy, the gravity and gravity gradient measurements are used to determine the Earth’s gravity potential (i.e., the geopotential) that is related to geometry of equipotential surfaces, most notably the geoid approximating globally the mean sea surface. Reversely to the application of gradient operator, the application of radial integral to gravity yields the gravity potential differences and the same application to gravity gradient yields the gravity differences. This procedure was implemented in definitions of rigorous orthometric heights and differences between normal and orthometric heights (i.e., the geoid-to-quasigeoid separation). Following this concept, we introduce the radially integrated gravity potential (i.e., the geopotential), and provide mathematical definitions of this functional in spatial and spectral domains. We also define its relationship with other parameters of the Earth’s gravity field via Poisson, Hotine, and Stokes integrals. We then discuss prospects of using this functional in gravimetric geophysics in the context of interpreting the Earth’s inner structure. In numerical examples, we demonstrate that the indefinite radial integral of the disturbing potential (i.e., difference between actual and normal gravity potentials) has a spatial pattern that better exhibits a long-wavelength signature of deep mantle than the global geoidal geometry. This finding is explained by the fact that a more detailed spatial pattern attributed mainly to a lithospheric structure is filtered out proportionally with increasing degree of spherical harmonics in this functional. The global geoidal geometry, on the other hand, comprises not only a deep mantle signature but eventually also a gravitational signature of lithosphere, most notably across large orogens, even after applying spectral decompensation or filtering.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10508 - Physical geography

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA23-07031S" target="_blank" >GA23-07031S: Ellipsoidal modelling of planetary gravitational fields</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

SURVEYS IN GEOPHYSICS

ISSN

0169-3298

e-ISSN

1573-0956

Volume of the periodical

46

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

33

Pages from-to

873-905

UT code for WoS article

001520038300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105009525094