Skip to main content
Log in

Gravitational attraction and potential of spherical shell with radially dependent density

  • Published:
Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Solutions to the direct problem in gravimetric interpretation are well-known for wide class of source bodies with constant density contrast. On the other hand, sources with non-uniform density can lead to relatively complicated formalisms. This is probably why analytical solutions for this type of sources are rather rare although utilization of these bodies can sometimes be very effective in gravity modeling. I demonstrate an analytical solution to that problem for a spherical shell with radial polynomial density distribution, and illustrate this result when applied to a special case of 5th degree polynomial. As a practical example, attraction of the normal atmosphere is calculated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cassinis G., Dore P. and Ballarin S., 1937. Fundamental tables for reducing gravity observed values. Tipografia Legatoria Mario Ponzio, 11–27.

  • Ecker E. and Mittermayer E., 1969. Gravity corrections for the influence of the atmosphere. Bolletino di Geofisica Teorica ed Applicata, 11, 41–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Abdeslem J., 2005. The gravitational attraction of a right rectangular prism with density varying with depth following a cubic polynomial. Geophysics, 70, 39–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gradshteyn I.S. and Ryzhik I.M., 1980. Tables of Integrals, Series, and Products, Corrected and Enlarged 4th Edition. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1160 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heck B. and Seitz K., 2007. A comparison of the tesseroid, prism and point-mass approaches for mass reductions in gravity field modeling. J. Geodesy, 81, 121–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holstein H., 2003. Gravimagnetic anomaly formulas for polyhedra of spatially linear media. Geophysics, 68, 157–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karcol R., 2010. The Contribution to the Direct Problem in Gravimetry. M.Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia (in Slovak).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikuška J. Pašteka R. and Marušiak I., 2006. Estimation of distant relief effect in gravimetry. Geophysics, 71, J59–J69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikuška J., Marušiak I., Pašteka R., Karcol R. and Beňo J., 2008. The effect of topography in calculating the atmospheric correction in gravimetry. SEG Expanded Abstracts, 784–788.

  • NIMA Agency, 2000. Department of Defense World Geodetic System. National Imagery and Mapping Agency Technical Report TR8350.2, Third Edition, Amendment 1. January 3, 2000. Department of Defense, Washingtom, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • NOAA, NASA and USAF, 1976. U.S. Standard Atmosphere. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C, 227 pp. (http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19770009539_1977009539.pdf).

    Google Scholar 

  • Talwani M., 1973. Computer usage in the computation of gravity anomalies. In: Bolt B.A. (Ed.), Geophysics: Methods in Ccomputation Physics 13. Academic Press Inc., 343–389.

  • Wenzel H., 1985. Hochauflösende Kugelfunktionsmodelle für das Gravitationspotential der Erde. Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten der Fachrichtung Vermessungswesen der Universität Hannover, Nr.137, 155 pp. (in German).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roland Karcol.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karcol, R. Gravitational attraction and potential of spherical shell with radially dependent density. Stud Geophys Geod 55, 21–34 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-011-0002-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-011-0002-9

Keywords

Navigation