Earth: Day Zero • Paper 197 of 512
Antarctic Gravity Anomaly Inventory
Gravity anomalies provide one of the most important tools for investigating Antarctic geology beneath the ice sheet.
Regional Geological Context
Important regions include Wilkes Land, East Antarctica; Queen Maud Land; the Transantarctic Mountains; Aurora Subglacial Basin; Recovery Basin; and the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains.
Relevant institutions include Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia; British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom; and University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Observation
Antarctic gravity datasets reveal density contrasts, buried basins, crustal boundaries, and large-scale geophysical structures concealed beneath ice cover.
Constraint Analysis
Gravity anomalies are valuable because they provide evidence independent of visible surface geology.
Open Questions
Which Antarctic gravity anomalies correspond to crustal structure, mantle structure, basin architecture, or unresolved geological sources?