Inner and minimum constraint adjustment of marine gravity data

• Published in: Computers & Geosciences
• Main Authors: Catalao, J., Sevilla de Lerma, Miguel Jesús
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Pergamon-Elsevier Science 2004
• Subjects: Geofísica; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://eprints.ucm.es/id/eprint/19942/; https://eprints.ucm.es/id/eprint/19942/1/Sevilla04.pdf; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098300404001268; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2004.06.004

A programme for marine gravity data validation and adjustment is presented-VALDAMA. The aim of the programme is to provide a complete user-friendly system for marine gravity data validation and adjustment that enables the user to define all intervening parameters. The programme is written in standard C and has the possibility of solving for three different types of adjustment: inner constraint, constraint and minimum constraint and allows the user to define the stochastic model. It also has the ability to detect and adjust individual sub-networks, which may occur in regional applications, where track network connectivity fails. VALDAMA uses a parameter file in which the validation parameters, adjustment method and stochastic model are defined. The programme calculates the main statistical parameters and presents the results in spreadsheet format compatible with most common computer office tools. A test case is presented for marine gravity data in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. The complete validation and adjustment of more than 190,000 gravity observations are presented and from an analysis of several adjustment possibilities, it was concluded that inner constraint adjustment may give unpredictable results for global gravity data and that minimum constraint would be the preferred solution.