Influence of temperature variations on the noise level of the data of the LaCoste and Romberg Earth tide gravity meter ET18

Abstract

Gravity records include a wide spectrum of signals based on mass changes in the Earth's crust. Today, the detectable amplitudes of the signals of interest become smaller and smaller (e.g., hydrological effects). From this it follows that the accuracy and resolution of measurements must be very high and the noise level as low as possible. In this study, the influence of the temperature variations as noise signal in the gravity records was investigated. Therefore, two 215 day time series of the LaCoste and Romberg gravity meter ET18 in the broadband Geodynamical Observatory Moxa were analyzed and compared. Each time series was recorded in another room. The first room is characterized by a temperature variation of ±4°C per year. The second room has a constant temperature of 19°C. As reference data, the parallel recorded time series of the superconducting gravity meter (SG) CD-034, installed in the temperature-stabilized room were used. The result of this study shows a clear influence of temperature variation on the noise level in the spectra of the ET18 compared to the SG spectra. Depending on the frequency ranges, the ratios of the noise levels of the ET18 and SG spectra are between 2 and 5. In the frequency range up to 0.01 cph the ET18/SG factor is 2, between 0.01 cph and 0.09 cph the factor is 3, and above 0.09 cph the factor is 5. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.