Field measurements of absolute gravity in East Antarctica

• Main Authors: Doi, Koichiro, Hayakawa, Hideaki, Kazama, Takahito, Higashi, Toshihiro, Osono, Shingo, Fukuda, Yoichi, Nishijima, Jun, Aoyama, Yuichi, Ueda, Junichi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2013
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Terrestrial; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Polar Science; Prince Olav Coast
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2513/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2513/1/A20130416.pdf

This paper reports the results of field-based absolute gravity measurements aimed at detecting gravity change and crustal displacement caused by glacial isostatic adjustment. The project was initiated within the framework of the 53rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE53). Absolute gravity measurements, together with GPS measurements, were planned at several outcrops along the Prince Olav Coast and Sôya Coast of East Antarctica, including at Syowa Station. Since the icebreaker Shirase (AGB 5003) was unable to moor alongside Syowa Station, operations were somewhat restricted during JARE53. However, despite this setback, we were able to complete measurements at two sites: Syowa Station and Langhovde. The absolute gravity value at the Syowa Station IAGBN (A) site, observed using an FG-5 absolute gravimeter (serial number 210; FG-5 #210), was 982 524 322.7±0.1 μGal, and the gravity change rate at the beginning of 2012 was –0.26 μGal∙a-1. An absolute gravity value of 982 535 584.2±0.7 μGal was obtained using a portable A-10 absolute gravimeter (serial number 017; A-10 #017) at the newly located site AGS01 in Langhovde.