Abstract
Variable-density sources have been paid more attention in gravity modeling. We conduct the computation of gravity gradient tensor of given mass sources with variable density in this paper. 3D rectangular prisms, as simple building blocks, can be used to approximate well 3D irregular-shaped sources. A polynomial function of depth can represent flexibly the complicated density variations in each prism. Hence, we derive the analytic expressions in closed form for computing all components of the gravity gradient tensor due to a 3D right rectangular prism with an arbitrary-order polynomial density function of depth. The singularity of the expressions is analyzed. The singular points distribute at the corners of the prism or on some of the lines through the edges of the prism in the lower semi-space containing the prism. The expressions are validated, and their numerical stability is also evaluated through numerical tests. The numerical examples with variable-density prism and basin models show that the expressions within their range of numerical stability are superior in computational accuracy and efficiency to the common solution that sums up the effects of a collection of uniform subprisms, and provide an effective method for computing gravity gradient tensor of 3D irregular-shaped sources with complicated density variation. In addition, the tensor computed with variable density is different in magnitude from that with constant density. It demonstrates the importance of the gravity gradient tensor modeling with variable density.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Athy LF (1930) Density, porosity, and compaction of sedimentary rocks. AAPG Bull 14(1):1–24
Barnes G, Barraud J (2012) Imaging geologic surfaces by inverting gravity gradient data with depth horizons. Geophysics 77(1):G1–G11
Barnes G, Lumley J (2011) Processing gravity gradient data. Geophysics 76(2):I33–I47
Barraud J (2013) Improving identification of valid depth estimates from gravity gradient data using curvature and geometry analysis. First Break 31(4):87–92
Beiki M (2011) Analytic signals of gravity gradient tensor and their application to estimate source location. Geophysics 75(6):I59–I74
Beiki M, Pedersen LB (2010) Eigenvector analysis of gravity gradient tensor to locate geologic bodies. Geophysics 75(6):I37–I49
Beiki M, Pedersen LB (2011) Window constrained inversion of gravity gradient tensor data using dike and contact models. Geophysics 76(6):I59–I72
Beiki M, Keating P, Clark DA (2014) Interpretation of magnetic and gravity gradient tensor data using normalized source strength—a case study from McFaulds Lake, Northern Ontario, Canada. Geophys Prospect 62(5):1180–1192
Blakely RJ (1995) Potential theory in gravity and magnetic applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Bouman J, Ebbing J, Meekes S, Fattah RA, Fuchs M, Gradmann S, Haagmans R, Lieb A, Schmidt M, Dettmering D, Bosch W (2015) GOCE gravity gradient data for lithospheric modeling. Int J Appl Earth Obs Geoinf 35:16–30
Bowin C, Scheer E, Smith W (1986) Depth estimates from ratios of gravity, geoid, and gravity gradient anomalies. Geophysics 51(1):123–136
Capriotti J, Li Y (2014) Gravity and gravity gradient data: understanding their information content through joint inversions. SEG Denver 2014 annual meeting, pp. 1329–1333
Cevallos C, Kovac P, Lowe SJ (2013) Application of curvatures to airborne gravity gradient data in oil exploration. Geophysics 78(4):G81–G88
Chai Y, Hinze WJ (1988) Gravity inversion of an interface above which the density contrast varies exponentially with depth. Geophysics 53(6):837–845
Chakravarthi V, Raghuram HM, Singh SB (2002) 3-D forward gravity modeling of basement interfaces above which the density contrast varies continuously with depth. Comput Geosci 28(1):53–57
Chappell A, Kusznir N (2008) An algorithm to calculate the gravity anomaly of sedimentary basins with exponential density-depth relationships. Geophys Prospect 56(2):249–258
Conway J (2015) Analytical solution from vector potentials for the gravitational field of a general polyhedron. Celest Mech Dyn Astron 121(1):17–38
Čuma M, Wilson GA, Zhdanov MS (2012) Large-scale 3d inversion of potential field data. Geophys Prospect 60(6):1186–1199
D’Urso MG (2012) New expressions of the gravitational potential and its derivatives for the prism. In: Sneeuw N, Novak P, Crespi M, Sansò F (eds) 7th Hotine–Marussi International Symposium on Mathematical Geodesy. International Association of Geodesy Symposia, Springer
D’Urso MG (2014a) Analytical computation of gravity effects for polyhedral bodies. J Geodesy 88(1):13–29
D’Urso MG (2014b) Gravity effects of polyhedral bodies with linearly varying density. Celest Mech Dyn Astron 120(4):349–372
D’Urso MG (2015) The gravity anomaly of a 2D polygonal body having density contrast given by polynomial functions. Surv Geophys 36(3):391–425
D’Urso MG (2016) A remark on the computation of the gravitational potential of masses with linearly varying density. In: Sneeuw N, Novak P, Crespi M, Sansò F (eds) 8th Hotine–Marussi international symposium on mathematical geodesy. International Association of Geodesy Symposia, Springer
D’Urso MG, Trotta S (2017) Gravity anomaly of polyhedral bodies having a polynomial density contrast. Surv Geophys 38(4):781–832
Droujinine A, Vasilevsky A, Evans R (2007) Feasibility of using full tensor gradient (FTG) data for detection of local lateral density contrasts during reservoir monitoring. Geophys J Int 169(3):795–820
Dubey CP, Tiwari VM (2016) Computation of the gravity field and its gradient: some applications. Comput Geosci 88:83–96
Forsberg R (1984) A study of terrain reductions, density anomalies and geophysical inversion methods in gravity field modelling. Ohio State Univ Columbus Dept Of Geodetic Science and Surveying, No. OSU/DGSS-355
Gallardo-Delgado LA, Pérez-Flores MA, Gómez-Treviño E (2003) A versatile algorithm for joint 3D inversion of gravity and magnetic data. Geophysics 68(3):949–959
García-Abdeslem J (1992) Gravitational attraction of a rectangular prism with depth-dependent density. Geophysics 57(3):470–473
García-Abdeslem J (2005) The gravitational attraction of a right rectangular prism with density varying with depth following a cubic polynomial. Geophysics 70(6):J39–J42
Geng MX, Huang DN, Yang QJ, Liu YP (2014) 3D inversion of airborne gravity-gradiometry data using cokriging. Geophysics 79(4):G37–G47
Guo ZH, Guan ZN, Xiong SQ (2004) Cuboid ∆T and its gradient forward theoretical expressions without analytic odd points. Chin J Geophys 47(6):1277–1285
Haáz IB (1953) Relations between the potential of the attraction of the mass contained in a finite rectangular prism and its first and second derivatives. Geophys Trans II 7:57–66
Hayes TJ, Tiampo KF, Fernández J, Rundle JB (2008) A gravity gradient method for characterizing the post-seismic deformation field for a finite fault. Geophys J Int 173(3):802–805
Holstein H (2003) Gravimagnetic anomaly formulas for polyhedra of spatially linear media. Geophysics 68(1):157–167
Holstein H, Ketteridge B (1996) Gravimetric analysis of uniform polyhedra. Geophysics 61(2):357–364
Hou ZL, Wei XH, Huang DN (2016) Fast density inversion solution for full tensor gravity gradiometry data. Pure Appl Geophys 173(2):509–523
Hudec MR, Jackson MPA, Schultz-Ela DD (2006) The paradox of minibasin subsidence into salt: clues to the evolution of crustal basins. Geol Soc Am Bull 121(1–2):201–221
Jekeli C, Zhu L (2006) Comparison of methods to model the gravitational gradients from topographic data bases. Geophys J Int 166(3):999–1014
Jiang L, Zhang J, Feng ZB (2017) A versatile solution for the gravity anomaly of 3D prism-meshed bodies with depth-dependent density contrast. Geophysics 82(4):G77–G86
Jorgensen GJ, Kisabeth JL, Huffman AR, Sinton JB, Bell DW (2002) Method for gravity and magnetic data inversion using vector and tensor data with seismic imaging and geopressure prediction for oil, gas and mineral exploration and production. US, US6502037
Kim S, Wessel P (2016) New analytic solutions for modeling vertical gravity gradient anomalies. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 17(5):1915–1924
Kwok YK (1991) Singularities in gravity computation for vertical cylinders and prisms. Geophys J Int 104(1):1–10
LaFehr TR, Nabighian MN (2012) Fundamentals of gravity exploration, society of exploration geophysicists. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.0781560803058
Leonardo U, Barbosa VCF (2012) Robust 3D gravity gradient inversion by planting anomalous densities. Geophysics 77(4):G55–G66
Li X, Chouteau M (1998) Three-dimensional gravity modeling in all space. Surv Geophys 19(4):339–368
Lu W, Qian J (2015) A local level-set method for 3D inversion of gravity-gradient data. Geophysics 80(1):G35–G51
Luo Y, Yao CL (2007) Forward modeling of gravity, gravity gradients, and magnetic anomalies due to complex bodies. J Chin Univ Geosci 18(3):280–286
Martinez C, Li Y (2011) Inversion of regional gravity gradient data over the Vredefort Impact Structure, South Africa. In: SEG technical program expanded abstracts 2011. Society of Exploration Geophysicists, pp. 841–845
Martinez C, Li Y (2016) Denoising of gravity gradient data using an equivalent source technique. Geophysics 81(4):G67–G79
Martinez C, Li Y, Krahenbuhl R, Braga MA (2013) 3D inversion of airborne gravity gradiometry data in mineral exploration: a case study in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Brazil. Geophysics 78(1):B1–B11
Mataragio J, Kikley J (2009) Application of full tensor gradient invariants in detection of intrusion-hosted sulphide mineralization: implications for deposition mechanisms. First Break 27(7):95–98
Nagy D, Papp G, Benedek J (2000) The gravitational potential and its derivatives for the prism. J Geodesy 74(7):552–560
Okabe M (1979) Analytical expressions for gravity anomalies due to homogeneous polyhedral bodies and translations into magnetic anomalies. Geophysics 44(4):730–741
Oliveira VC, Barbosa VCF (2013) 3-D radial gravity gradient inversion. Geophys J Int 195(2):883–902
Oruç B (2010) Depth estimation of simple causative sources from gravity gradient tensor invariants and vertical component. Pure appl Geophys 167(10):1259–1272
Oruç B (2011) Edge detection and depth estimation using a tilt angle map from gravity gradient data of the Kozaklı-Central Anatolia Region, Turkey. Pure Appl Geophys 168(10):1769–1780
Oruç B, Sertçelik İ, Kafadar Ö, Selim HH (2013) Structural interpretation of the Erzurum basin, eastern Turkey, using curvature gravity gradient tensor and gravity inversion of basement relief. J Appl Geophys 88(1):105–113
Pan Q, Liu DJ, Geng M, Cheng X, Wang X (2016) Euler deconvolution of the analytic signals of gravity gradient tensor for underground horizontal pipeline. In: 78th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2016, EAGE, Extended abstract. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201600664
Pedersen LB (1990) The gradient tensor of potential field anomalies: some implications on data collection and data processing of maps. Geophysics 55(12):1558–1566
Petrović S (1996) Determination of the potential of homogeneous polyhedral bodies using line integrals. J Geodesy 71(1):44–52
Pilkington M (2014) Evaluating the utility of gravity gradient tensor components. Geophysics 79(1):G1–G14
Pohanka V (1988) Optimum expression for computation of the gravity field of a homogeneous polyhedral body. Geophys Prospect 36(7):733–751
Prutkin I, Tenzer R (2009) The optimum expression for the gravitational potential of polyhedral bodies having a linearly varying density distribution. J Geodesy 83(12):1163–1170
Qin P, Huang D, Yuan Y, Geng M, Liu J (2016) Integrated gravity and gravity gradient 3D inversion using the non-linear conjugate gradient. J Appl Geophys 126:52–73
Rao DB (1990) Analysis of gravity anomalies of sedimentary basins by an asymmetrical trapezoidal model with quadratic density function. Geophysics 55(2):226–231
Rao CV, Raju ML, Chakravarthi V (1995) Gravity modelling of an interface above which the density contrast decreases hyperbolically with depth. J Appl Geophys 34(1):63–67
Ren ZY, Chen CJ, Pan KJ, Kalscheuer T, Maurer H, Tang J (2017) Gravity anomalies of arbitrary 3D polyhedral bodies with horizontal and vertical mass contrasts. Surv Geophys 38(2):479–502
Rim H, Li Y (2012) Single-hole imaging using borehole gravity gradiometry. Geophysics 77(5):G67–G76
Rim H, Li Y (2016) Gravity gradient tensor due to a cylinder. Geophysics 81(4):G59–G66
Saad AH (2006) Understanding gravity gradients—a tutorial. Lead Edge 25(8):942–949
Sastry RG, Gokula A (2016) Full gravity gradient tensor of a vertical pyramid model of flat top & bottom with depth-wish linear density variation II[C]//Symposium on the application of geophysics to engineering and environmental problems 2015. Soc Explor Geophys Environ Eng Geophys Soc 2016:294–301. https://doi.org/10.4133/SAGEEP.29-051
Shi L, Li YH, Zhang EH (2015) A new approach for density contrast interface inversion based on the parabolic density function in the frequency domain. J Appl Geophys 116:1–9
Sun Y, Yang W, Zeng X, Zhang Z (2016) Edge enhancement of potential field data using spectral moments. Geophysics 81(1):G1–G11
Sykes TJS (1996) A correction for sediment load upon the ocean floor: uniform versus varying sediment density estimations—implications for isostatic correction. Mar Geol 133(1–2):35–49
Tsoulis D (2000) A note on the gravitational field of the right rectangular prism. Bollettino di Geodesia e Scienze Affini 59(1):21–35
Tsoulis D (2012) Analytical computation of the full gravity tensor of a homogeneous arbitrarily shaped polyhedral source using line integrals. Geophysics 77(2):F1–F11
Tsoulis D, Petrovic S (2001) On the singularities of the gravity field of a homogeneous polyhedral body. Geophysics 66(2):535–539
Uieda L, Barbosa VCF (2012) 3D gravity gradient inversion by planting density anomalies. In: Eage conference and exhibition incorporating Spe Europec, pp 1–5
Vasco DW (1989) Resolution and variance operators of gravity and gravity gradiometry. Geophysics 54(7):889–899
Verweij JM, Boxem TAP, Nelskamp S (2016) 3D spatial variation in vertical stress in on- and offshore Netherlands; integration of density log measurements and basin modeling results. Mar Pet Geol 78:870–882
Werner RA (2017) The solid angle hidden in polyhedron gravitation formulations. J Geod 91:307–328
While J, Biegert E, Jackson A (2009) Generalized sampling interpolation of noisy gravity/gravity gradient data. Geophys J Int 178(2):638–650
Wu LY, Chen LW (2016) Fourier forward modeling of vector and tensor gravity fields due to prismatic bodies with variable density contrast. Geophysics 81(1):G13–G26
Yuan Y, Yu QL (2015) Edge detection in potential-field gradient tensor data by use of improved horizontal analytical signal methods. Pure appl Geophys 172(2):461–472
Zhang J, Jiang L (2017) Analytical expressions for the gravitational vector field of a 3-D rectangular prism with density varying as an arbitrary-order polynomial function. Geophys J Int 210(2):1176–1190
Zhang C, Mushayandebvu MF, Reid AB, Fairhead JD, Odegard ME (2000) Euler deconvolution of gravity tensor gradient data. Geophysics 65(2):512–520
Zhang J, Zhong BS, Zhou XX, Dai Y (2001) Gravity anomalies of 2-D bodies with variable density contrast. Geophysics 66(3):809–813
Zhdanov MS, Ellis R, Mukherjee S (2004) Three-dimensional regularized focusing inversion of gravity gradient tensor component data. Geophysics 69(4):1–4
Zhou XB (2009) 3D vector gravity potential and line integrals for the gravity anomaly of a rectangular prism with 3D variable density contrast. Geophysics 74(6):I43–I53
Zhou XB (2010) Analytic solution of the gravity anomaly of irregular 2D masses with density contrast varying as a 2D polynomial function. Geophysics 75(2):I11–I19
Zhou W (2015) Normalized full gradient of full tensor gravity gradient based on adaptive iterative Tikhonov regularization downward continuation. J Appl Geophys 118:75–83
Zwillinger D (2011) CRC standard mathematical tables and formulae, 32nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41074077 and 41230318) and the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province (Grant No. 2017GSF16103). We thank Editor in Chief Michael J. Rycroft and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments that greatly improved this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix: Solutions for Some Indefinite Integrals
Appendix: Solutions for Some Indefinite Integrals
We provide the solutions of some indefinite integrals, which are necessary for the derivation of the analytic expressions referred to above. In the solutions, we omit the integral constants. The notations here are consistent with those in the text body.
According to Eqs. (4) and (5) in García-Abdeslem (1992), we get
According to Eqs. (12) and (13) in Guo et al. (2004), we get
According to Eqs. 20, 131, 141, 183 and 184 in the table of indefinite integrals from Zwillinger (2011), we get
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jiang, L., Liu, J., Zhang, J. et al. Analytic Expressions for the Gravity Gradient Tensor of 3D Prisms with Depth-Dependent Density. Surv Geophys 39, 337–363 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9455-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9455-x