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Analysis of the repeated absolute gravity measurements in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary from the period 1991–2010 considering instrumental and hydrological effects

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Abstract

Since August 2001, the absolute gravimeter FG5#215 has been used for the modernization of the national gravity networks of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Altogether 43 absolute stations were measured, some of them repeatedly. Absolute gravity at 29 stations had already been determined in 1990s by other absolute gravimeters (FG5 or JILAg). Differences of repeated measurements at most of the stations show an unexpected decrease of gravity (up to 22 μGal) over the whole region. An uncertainty assessment of absolute measurements with a special emphasis put on hydrological effects shows a statistical significance of the detected gravity variations at many stations. In this manuscript, three possible reasons of such findings are discussed: (1) a regional geodynamic activity, (2) systematic instrumental errors (offsets), (3) hydrological effects. The analysis and statistics of the gravity differences in context of international comparisons of absolute gravimeters show offsets up to 9μGal related to data of the JILAg-6 and FG5#107 gravimeters. Data collected in this study demonstrate that considering instrumental and hydrological effects on gravity are crucial for a correct interpretation of repeated absolute gravity measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geodetic Observatory Pecný, Research Institute of Geodesy, Topography and Cartography, Ondřejov 244, 251 65 , Ondřejov, Czech Republic

    Vojtech Pálinkáš, Jakub Kostelecký & Jaroslav Šimek

  2. Geodetic Control Section, Special Works Department, Land Survey Office, Pod sídlištěm 9, 182 11, Praha 8, Czech Republic

    Martin Lederer

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 11, 813 68, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Marcel Mojzeš

  4. Geodetic and Cartographic Institute in Bratislava, Chlumeckého 4, 827 45, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Dušan Ferianc

  5. Eötvös Lorand Geophysical Institute of Hungary, XIV. ker. Kolumbusz u. 17-23, 1145, Budapest, Hungary

    Géza Csapó

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  1. Vojtech Pálinkáš
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  2. Martin Lederer
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  3. Jakub Kostelecký
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  4. Jaroslav Šimek
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  5. Marcel Mojzeš
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  7. Géza Csapó
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Correspondence to Vojtech Pálinkáš.

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Pálinkáš, V., Lederer, M., Kostelecký, J. et al. Analysis of the repeated absolute gravity measurements in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary from the period 1991–2010 considering instrumental and hydrological effects. J Geod 87, 29–42 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-012-0576-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-012-0576-1

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