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Encyclopedia of Geodesy pp 1–8Cite as

Absolute Gravity Measurements

Definition

Absolute gravimetry . Measurement of absolute value of gravity (free-fall) acceleration.

Introduction

Gravimetry in a broad sense includes science and practice of the measurement of those physical quantities which are manifestations of a gravity field. On a large scale, gravimetry includes the measurement of the gravity field of the Earth (or other planets) and, on a small scale, the measurement of the local gravity field in the laboratory and in the field. Gravimetry also includes studies of the methods and instruments for gravity measurement.

In a rotating coordinate system on the Earth, the gravity (or free-fall) acceleration g of the object is composed of the part g a due to gravitational attraction and of the centrifugal acceleration g c (see, e.g., Torge (1989))

$$ g={g}_{\mathrm{a}}+{g}_{\mathrm{c}}. $$
(1)

The g a and g c are the first derivatives with respect to coordinate z of the gravitational potential V and centrifugal potential V c, respectively, in the local...

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Abbreviations

ABG:

Absolute ballistic gravimeter

BIPM:

International bureau of weight and measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures)

FFA:

Free-fall acceleration

IAG:

International association of geodesy

ICAG:

International comparison of absolute gravimeters

KCRV:

Key comparison reference value

NMI:

National Metrology Institute

SI:

International system of units

References and Reading

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. D.I.Mendeleyev Institute for Metrology (VNIIM), 19, Moskovsky Prospekt, 190005, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

    Leonid F. Vitushkin

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  1. Leonid F. Vitushkin
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Correspondence to Leonid F. Vitushkin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geodetic Institute, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Erik Grafarend

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Vitushkin, L.F. (2014). Absolute Gravity Measurements. In: Grafarend, E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geodesy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_25-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_25-1

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Absolute Gravity Measurements
    Published:
    28 March 2023

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_25-2

  2. Original

    Absolute Gravity Measurements
    Published:
    14 May 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_25-1

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