In the field of theoretical physics, the gravitational anomaly is an example of a gauge anomaly, one of the effects of quantum mechanics. This is the difference between the observed acceleration of gravity or gravity on the surface and the corresponding value of the predicted model of the planet’s gravitational field. As a rule, there are a number of simplifying assumptions, including self-gravity and rotational motions, due to which the Earth takes the form of an ellipsoid.
Anomaly and gravity
The value of the anomaly, as a rule, is much less than the value of gravity itself, with which the concepts of the total mass of the planet, its rotation and flattening are associated. Thus, gravitational anomalies on the Earth are just local variations of the gravitational field. Nevertheless, these phenomena cause genuine geophysical and geological interest and are one of the typical tasks of geophysics.
Reasons and features
Gravitational anomaly can occur in different parts of the world, most often in the mountains. Lateral oscillations of gravitational anomalies are associated with abnormal density distributions inside the Earth. Gravity measures help to understand the internal structure of the planet. Large-scale anomalies of the gravitational field can be detected from space as a side effect of the gravitational missions of satellites.
Gravity Recovery and Climate
It turns out that man himself can influence processes only subject to nature itself, launching satellites that can detect gravitational changes throughout the Earth. In addition, these changes can be represented in the form of gravitational anomalies of temporal variations. Gravity plays an important role, influencing, among other things, the planet’s self-regulation and its climatic processes.
Directions of the gravitational field
The gravitational field of the Earth is depicted in two main directions: anomalies of gravity of the map and the map of the Earth's geoid.
- The gravitational anomaly of the map shows how much the actual gravitational field of the Earth itself differs from the gravitational field of its surface. She emphasizes the difference in gravity on the surface of the Earth. Often this happens in places of unusual concentration of certain landscape forms, for example, the presence of mountain ranges or oceanic depressions.
- A geoid is a hypothetical surface of the Earth, which is the average sea level in the absence of winds, currents and most tides. A geoid is a useful surface reference material. It defines the horizontals, and gravity acts perpendicular to them.
Obtaining an accurate geoid model has proven to be a daunting task. Data from several dozen satellites, along with surface measurements, had to be combined to create a model of the gravitational field. The identification of large-scale features has fully justified itself, which cannot be said about the features of a local nature, where it is often necessary to accurately describe time-varying gravitational effects, such as those associated with the hydrological cycle.
Remote Sensing and Cartography
These methods provide the critical contribution of many scientific models used in oceanography, hydrology, geology, and related disciplines. Remote sensing and cartography are used for various purposes and tasks, including:
- measuring changes in the mass of polar ice;
- measuring water changes on land;
- definition of shallow and deep ocean currents;
- determination of sea level changes due to temperature fluctuations;
- a more detailed understanding of such mass exchange as the atmosphere-ocean;
- descriptions of the forces that generate the earth's geomagnetic field ;
- understanding of the internal forces of the planet, the movement of tectonic plates as a result of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions;
- improved forecasting of natural hazards.
Anomalies attract tourists
We live in an era when almost everyone in the world has instant access to information. Despite the fact that everyone, if desired, can find out everything he wants, there is a strange world, and there are many of them that remain a mystery, one of which is the gravitational anomaly.
There are places on the planet that can surprise where natural gravity does not work, where the sense of balance is lost, where a car can roll uphill, and so on. Such phenomena are indeed regarded as incorrect from the standpoint of human thinking.
Such mysterious places can be found all over the world, although not all of them can be located in vortices of paranormal activity, but some can definitely be a good stopping place for tourists who are tired of the road.
Interpretation of gravitational and magnetic anomalies
Magnetic anomalies are mainly generated by variations of the crystalline basement and magmatic material. Most deposits can be considered magnetically transparent, that is, having little susceptibility.
Thus, magnetic data interpretations can be a useful and productive way of investigating the deepest and often the most fundamental structures.
The gravitational anomaly on a lake or land may be associated with a contrast in the densities of subsurface layers (deep penetrations, faults, river basin boundaries, and so on).
What does GA mean?
The gravitational anomaly, "GA" in abbreviated form, is a general term for describing cases of fixing not quite ordinary gravitational field indicators. This definition explains the moments that arise in cases of contradiction between the generally accepted mathematical model of gravitational theory and the other side, which does not fit into the general framework of the physical nature of gravitational interaction.
Practical value
The study of the characteristics and properties of the Earth's gravitational field plays an important role and finds practical application in many sectors of the economy. There is a whole scientific direction - gravimetry, which is on a par with other Earth sciences (geology, geodesy, astronautics, oceanography, seismology and others). The subject of its study is the gravitational anomaly as well.
Gravity Anomalies
Changes in gravity, which are associated with such a property of the earth's surface as density heterogeneity, do not have an obvious regularity and indicate a certain deviation from the generally accepted values, are called gravity anomalies. As a rule, the difference between normal and abnormal gravity is minimal. However, even minor deviations help to better study the properties of the earth's crust, as well as to search for minerals.
Gravitational anomaly occurs both on the surface of the Earth and in its bowels. An important external factor is the topography. As for the underground causes, these include the movements of the layers vertically and horizontally, as well as changes in the density composition of these layers. A phenomenon such as the gravitational anomaly is important in geology. Gravimetric methods are widely used during the search for deposits of iron ore, oil and gas.
Miracles, and more!
Every year more and more information appears about abnormal places on the planet. These are places where gravity somehow miraculously disappears, a ball or spilled water begins to rise up the slope, or other miracles occur that defy any logic.
The most famous are Beit Shemesh in Israel, the Devil's Gorge in Jordan, the pass in Ladhak (India), as well as gravitational anomalies in Russia, near the village of Galashki, Nevyansk district in the Middle Urals, where a brook with an unusual current was discovered.
What is really going on? Are all abnormal places such? Many of them have something in common, namely:
- Basically, such zones are located in mountainous terrain.
- Most are in the subtropics.
- A characteristic feature is the relatively small size, if it is expensive, then the length of the anomalous section does not exceed, as a rule, 600 m.
What is the trick?
Gravitational anomalies in the Earth and Moon systems are scientifically justified, their relationship can be observed, for example, using tides.
And as for the many places where gravitational forces work awry? Is everything that seems incomprehensible is abnormal? Take the mountain road example of one anomalous zone. Going up is easier than going down. So why is going down so hard? This is because the body is very difficult to deceive, unlike the eyes. It's hard to believe, but most of the mysterious natural phenomena are just optical illusions.
Gravity is one of the most important fundamental forces of the Universe, which has puzzled scientists more than once since its discovery. The unique properties of gravity and its relation to mass allow life to exist, and not fly into space. When an object moves higher, it receives gravitational potential energy, and its amount depends on the mass of the object, height and force of attraction. In nature, there are also phenomena of distortion of gravitational fields. Anomalies are a rather conventional concept, which can denote many different phenomena. In fact, their manifestation is a physically justified quality of a substance or matter.
Gravity fields can have a significant impact, which can manifest itself in functional failures of all kinds of equipment. For example, arrows suddenly stop on the watch or start to move in the opposite direction, the phones are discharged, the photo equipment turns off, and so on. All distortions of time and space must be perceived more widely, and not only at the level of material manifestations of a reflex nature.