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Gravity of Earth

The gravity of Earth, denoted by g, is the net acceleration that is imparted to objects due to the combined effect of gravitation (from mass distribution within Earth) and the centrifugal force (from the Earth's rotation).[2][3] It is a vector quantity, whose direction coincides with a plumb bob and strength or magnitude is given by the norm .

Earth's gravity measured by NASA GRACE mission, showing deviations from the theoretical gravity of an idealized, smooth Earth, the so-called Earth ellipsoid. Red shows the areas where gravity is stronger than the smooth, standard value, and blue reveals areas where gravity is weaker (Animated version).[1]

In SI units, this acceleration is expressed in metres per second squared (in symbols, m/s2 or m·s−2) or equivalently in newtons per kilogram (N/kg or N·kg−1). Near Earth's surface, the acceleration due to gravity, accurate to 2 significant figures, is 9.8 m/s2 (32 ft/s2). This means that, ignoring the effects of air resistance, the speed of an object falling freely will increase by about 9.8 metres per second (32 ft/s) every second. This quantity is sometimes referred to informally as little g (in contrast, the gravitational constant G is referred to as big G).

The precise strength of Earth's gravity varies with location. The agreed upon value for standard gravity is 9.80665 m/s2 (32.1740 ft/s2) by definition.[4] This quantity is denoted variously as gn, ge (though this sometimes means the normal gravity at the equator, 9.7803267715 m/s2 (32.087686258 ft/s2)),[5] g0, or simply g (which is also used for the variable local value).

The weight of an object on Earth's surface is the downwards force on that object, given by Newton's second law of motion, or F = m a (force = mass × acceleration). Gravitational acceleration contributes to the total gravity acceleration, but other factors, such as the rotation of Earth, also contribute, and, therefore, affect the weight of the object. Gravity does not normally include the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun, which are accounted for in terms of tidal effects.

Variation in magnitude edit

A non-rotating perfect sphere of uniform mass density, or whose density varies solely with distance from the centre (spherical symmetry), would produce a gravitational field of uniform magnitude at all points on its surface. The Earth is rotating and is also not spherically symmetric; rather, it is slightly flatter at the poles while bulging at the Equator: an oblate spheroid. There are consequently slight deviations in the magnitude of gravity across its surface.

Gravity on the Earth's surface varies by around 0.7%, from 9.7639 m/s2 on the Nevado Huascarán mountain in Peru to 9.8337 m/s2 at the surface of the Arctic Ocean.[6] In large cities, it ranges from 9.7806 m/s2 [7] in Kuala Lumpur, Mexico City, and Singapore to 9.825 m/s2 in Oslo and Helsinki.

Conventional value edit

In 1901, the third General Conference on Weights and Measures defined a standard gravitational acceleration for the surface of the Earth: gn = 9.80665 m/s2. It was based on measurements at the Pavillon de Breteuil near Paris in 1888, with a theoretical correction applied in order to convert to a latitude of 45° at sea level.[8] This definition is thus not a value of any particular place or carefully worked out average, but an agreement for a value to use if a better actual local value is not known or not important.[9] It is also used to define the units kilogram force and pound force.

Latitude edit

 
The differences of Earth's gravity around the Antarctic continent.

The surface of the Earth is rotating, so it is not an inertial frame of reference. At latitudes nearer the Equator, the outward centrifugal force produced by Earth's rotation is larger than at polar latitudes. This counteracts the Earth's gravity to a small degree – up to a maximum of 0.3% at the Equator – and reduces the apparent downward acceleration of falling objects.

The second major reason for the difference in gravity at different latitudes is that the Earth's equatorial bulge (itself also caused by centrifugal force from rotation) causes objects at the Equator to be further from the planet's center than objects at the poles. The force due to gravitational attraction between two masses (a piece of the Earth and the object being weighed) varies inversely with the square of the distance between them. The distribution of mass is also different below someone on the equator and below someone at a pole. The net result is that an object at the Equator experiences a weaker gravitational pull than an object on one of the poles.

In combination, the equatorial bulge and the effects of the surface centrifugal force due to rotation mean that sea-level gravity increases from about 9.780 m/s2 at the Equator to about 9.832 m/s2 at the poles, so an object will weigh approximately 0.5% more at the poles than at the Equator.[2][10]

Altitude edit

 
The graph shows the variation in gravity relative to the height of an object above the surface
 
Earth vs Mars vs Moon gravity at elevation

Gravity decreases with altitude as one rises above the Earth's surface because greater altitude means greater distance from the Earth's centre. All other things being equal, an increase in altitude from sea level to 9,000 metres (30,000 ft) causes a weight decrease of about 0.29%. (An additional factor affecting apparent weight is the decrease in air density at altitude, which lessens an object's buoyancy.[11] This would increase a person's apparent weight at an altitude of 9,000 metres by about 0.08%)

It is a common misconception that astronauts in orbit are weightless because they have flown high enough to escape the Earth's gravity. In fact, at an altitude of 400 kilometres (250 mi), equivalent to a typical orbit of the ISS, gravity is still nearly 90% as strong as at the Earth's surface. Weightlessness actually occurs because orbiting objects are in free-fall.[12]

The effect of ground elevation depends on the density of the ground (see Slab correction section). A person flying at 9,100 m (30,000 ft) above sea level over mountains will feel more gravity than someone at the same elevation but over the sea. However, a person standing on the Earth's surface feels less gravity when the elevation is higher.

The following formula approximates the Earth's gravity variation with altitude:

 

Where

The formula treats the Earth as a perfect sphere with a radially symmetric distribution of mass; a more accurate mathematical treatment is discussed below.

Depth edit

 
Gravity at different internal layers of Earth (1 = continental crust, 2 = oceanic crust, 3 = upper mantle, 4 = lower mantle, 5+6 = core, A = crust-mantle boundary)
 
Earth's radial density distribution according to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM).[13]
 
Earth's gravity according to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM).[13] Two models for a spherically symmetric Earth are included for comparison. The dark green straight line is for a constant density equal to the Earth's average density. The light green curved line is for a density that decreases linearly from center to surface. The density at the center is the same as in the PREM, but the surface density is chosen so that the mass of the sphere equals the mass of the real Earth.

An approximate value for gravity at a distance r from the center of the Earth can be obtained by assuming that the Earth's density is spherically symmetric. The gravity depends only on the mass inside the sphere of radius r. All the contributions from outside cancel out as a consequence of the inverse-square law of gravitation. Another consequence is that the gravity is the same as if all the mass were concentrated at the center. Thus, the gravitational acceleration at this radius is[14]

 

where G is the gravitational constant and M(r) is the total mass enclosed within radius r. If the Earth had a constant density ρ, the mass would be M(r) = (4/3)πρr3 and the dependence of gravity on depth would be

 

The gravity g′ at depth d is given by g′ = g(1 − d/R) where g is acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Earth, d is depth and R is the radius of the Earth. If the density decreased linearly with increasing radius from a density ρ0 at the center to ρ1 at the surface, then ρ(r) = ρ0 − (ρ0ρ1) r / R, and the dependence would be

 

The actual depth dependence of density and gravity, inferred from seismic travel times (see Adams–Williamson equation), is shown in the graphs below.

Local topography and geology edit

Local differences in topography (such as the presence of mountains), geology (such as the density of rocks in the vicinity), and deeper tectonic structure cause local and regional differences in the Earth's gravitational field, known as gravitational anomalies.[15] Some of these anomalies can be very extensive, resulting in bulges in sea level, and throwing pendulum clocks out of synchronisation.

The study of these anomalies forms the basis of gravitational geophysics. The fluctuations are measured with highly sensitive gravimeters, the effect of topography and other known factors is subtracted, and from the resulting data conclusions are drawn. Such techniques are now used by prospectors to find oil and mineral deposits. Denser rocks (often containing mineral ores) cause higher than normal local gravitational fields on the Earth's surface. Less dense sedimentary rocks cause the opposite.

 
A map of recent volcanic activity and ridge spreading. The areas where NASA GRACE measured gravity to be stronger than the theoretical gravity have a strong correlation with the positions of the volcanic activity and ridge spreading.

There is a strong correlation between the gravity derivation map of earth from NASA GRACE with positions of recent volcanic activity, ridge spreading and volcanos: these regions have a stronger gravitation than theoretical predictions.

Other factors edit

In air or water, objects experience a supporting buoyancy force which reduces the apparent strength of gravity (as measured by an object's weight). The magnitude of the effect depends on the air density (and hence air pressure) or the water density respectively; see Apparent weight for details.

The gravitational effects of the Moon and the Sun (also the cause of the tides) have a very small effect on the apparent strength of Earth's gravity, depending on their relative positions; typical variations are 2 µm/s2 (0.2 mGal) over the course of a day.

Direction edit

 
A plumb bob determines the local vertical direction

Gravity acceleration is a vector quantity, with direction in addition to magnitude. In a spherically symmetric Earth, gravity would point directly towards the sphere's centre. As the Earth's figure is slightly flatter, there are consequently significant deviations in the direction of gravity: essentially the difference between geodetic latitude and geocentric latitude. Smaller deviations, called vertical deflection, are caused by local mass anomalies, such as mountains.

Comparative values worldwide edit

Tools exist for calculating the strength of gravity at various cities around the world.[16] The effect of latitude can be clearly seen with gravity in high-latitude cities: Anchorage (9.826 m/s2), Helsinki (9.825 m/s2), being about 0.5% greater than that in cities near the equator: Kuala Lumpur (9.776 m/s2). The effect of altitude can be seen in Mexico City (9.776 m/s2; altitude 2,240 metres (7,350 ft)), and by comparing Denver (9.798 m/s2; 1,616 metres (5,302 ft)) with Washington, D.C. (9.801 m/s2; 30 metres (98 ft)), both of which are near 39° N. Measured values can be obtained from Physical and Mathematical Tables by T.M. Yarwood and F. Castle, Macmillan, revised edition 1970.[17]

Acceleration due to gravity in various cities
Location m/s2 ft/s2 Location m/s2 ft/s2 Location m/s2 ft/s2 Location m/s2 ft/s2
Anchorage 9.826 32.24 Helsinki 9.825 32.23 Oslo 9.825 32.23 Copenhagen 9.821 32.22
Stockholm 9.818 32.21 Manchester 9.818 32.21 Amsterdam 9.817 32.21 Kotagiri 9.817 32.21
Birmingham 9.817 32.21 London 9.816 32.20 Brussels 9.815 32.20 Frankfurt 9.814 32.20
Seattle 9.811 32.19 Paris 9.809 32.18 Montréal 9.809 32.18 Vancouver 9.809 32.18
Istanbul 9.808 32.18 Toronto 9.807 32.18 Zurich 9.807 32.18 Ottawa 9.806 32.17
Skopje 9.804 32.17 Chicago 9.804 32.17 Rome 9.803 32.16 Wellington 9.803 32.16
New York City 9.802 32.16 Lisbon 9.801 32.16 Washington, D.C. 9.801 32.16 Athens 9.800 32.15
Madrid 9.800 32.15 Melbourne 9.800 32.15 Auckland 9.799 32.15 Denver 9.798 32.15
Tokyo 9.798 32.15 Buenos Aires 9.797 32.14 Sydney 9.797 32.14 Nicosia 9.797 32.14
Los Angeles 9.796 32.14 Cape Town 9.796 32.14 Perth 9.794 32.13 Kuwait City 9.792 32.13
Taipei 9.790 32.12 Rio de Janeiro 9.788 32.11 Havana 9.786 32.11 Kolkata 9.785 32.10
Hong Kong 9.785 32.10 Bangkok 9.780 32.09 Manila 9.780 32.09 Jakarta 9.777 32.08
Kuala Lumpur 9.776 32.07 Singapore 9.776 32.07 Mexico City 9.776 32.07 Kandy 9.775 32.07

Mathematical models edit

If the terrain is at sea level, we can estimate, for the Geodetic Reference System 1980,  , the acceleration at latitude  :

 

This is the International Gravity Formula 1967, the 1967 Geodetic Reference System Formula, Helmert's equation or Clairaut's formula.[18]

An alternative formula for g as a function of latitude is the WGS (World Geodetic System) 84 Ellipsoidal Gravity Formula:[19]

 

where,

  •   are the equatorial and polar semi-axes, respectively;
  •   is the spheroid's eccentricity, squared;
  •   is the defined gravity at the equator and poles, respectively;
  •   (formula constant);

then, where  ,[19]

 .

where the semi-axes of the earth are:

 
 

The difference between the WGS-84 formula and Helmert's equation is less than 0.68 μm·s−2.

Further reductions are applied to obtain gravity anomalies (see: Gravity anomaly#Computation).

Estimating g from the law of universal gravitation edit

From the law of universal gravitation, the force on a body acted upon by Earth's gravitational force is given by

 

where r is the distance between the centre of the Earth and the body (see below), and here we take   to be the mass of the Earth and m to be the mass of the body.

Additionally, Newton's second law, F = ma, where m is mass and a is acceleration, here tells us that

 

Comparing the two formulas it is seen that:

 

So, to find the acceleration due to gravity at sea level, substitute the values of the gravitational constant, G, the Earth's mass (in kilograms), m1, and the Earth's radius (in metres), r, to obtain the value of g:[20]

 

This formula only works because of the mathematical fact that the gravity of a uniform spherical body, as measured on or above its surface, is the same as if all its mass were concentrated at a point at its centre. This is what allows us to use the Earth's radius for r.

The value obtained agrees approximately with the measured value of g. The difference may be attributed to several factors, mentioned above under "Variation in magnitude":

  • The Earth is not homogeneous
  • The Earth is not a perfect sphere, and an average value must be used for its radius
  • This calculated value of g only includes true gravity. It does not include the reduction of constraint force that we perceive as a reduction of gravity due to the rotation of Earth, and some of gravity being counteracted by centrifugal force.

There are significant uncertainties in the values of r and m1 as used in this calculation, and the value of G is also rather difficult to measure precisely.

If G, g and r are known then a reverse calculation will give an estimate of the mass of the Earth. This method was used by Henry Cavendish.

Measurement edit

The measurement of Earth's gravity is called gravimetry.

Satellite measurements edit

 
Gravity anomaly map from GRACE

Currently, the static and time-variable Earth's gravity field parameters are being determined using modern satellite missions, such as GOCE, CHAMP, Swarm, GRACE and GRACE-FO.[21][22] The lowest-degree parameters, including the Earth's oblateness and geocenter motion are best determined from satellite laser ranging.[23]

Large-scale gravity anomalies can be detected from space, as a by-product of satellite gravity missions, e.g., GOCE. These satellite missions aim at the recovery of a detailed gravity field model of the Earth, typically presented in the form of a spherical-harmonic expansion of the Earth's gravitational potential, but alternative presentations, such as maps of geoid undulations or gravity anomalies, are also produced.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) consists of two satellites that can detect gravitational changes across the Earth. Also these changes can be presented as gravity anomaly temporal variations. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) also consisted of two spacecraft orbiting the Moon, which orbited for three years before their deorbit in 2015.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ NASA/JPL/University of Texas Center for Space Research. "PIA12146: GRACE Global Gravity Animation". Photojournal. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b Boynton, Richard (2001). (PDF). Sawe Paper No. 3147. Arlington, Texas: S.A.W.E., Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  3. ^ Hofmann-Wellenhof, B.; Moritz, H. (2006). Physical Geodesy (2nd ed.). Springer. ISBN 978-3-211-33544-4. § 2.1: "The total force acting on a body at rest on the earth's surface is the resultant of gravitational force and the centrifugal force of the earth's rotation and is called gravity."
  4. ^ Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (1901). "Déclaration relative à l'unité de masse et à la définition du poids; valeur conventionnelle de gn". Comptes Rendus des Séances de la Troisième Conférence· Générale des Poids et Mesures (in French). Paris: Gauthier-Villars. p. 68. Le nombre adopté dans le Service international des Poids et Mesures pour la valeur de l'accélération normale de la pesanteur est 980,665 cm/sec², nombre sanctionné déjà par quelques législations. Déclaration relative à l'unité de masse et à la définition du poids; valeur conventionnelle de gn.
  5. ^ Moritz, Helmut (2000). "Geodetic Reference System 1980". Journal of Geodesy. 74 (1): 128–133. doi:10.1007/s001900050278. S2CID 195290884. Retrieved 2023-07-26. γe = 9.780 326 7715 m/s² normal gravity at equator
  6. ^ Hirt, Christian; Claessens, Sten; Fecher, Thomas; Kuhn, Michael; Pail, Roland; Rexer, Moritz (August 28, 2013). "New ultrahigh-resolution picture of Earth's gravity field". Geophysical Research Letters. 40 (16): 4279–4283. Bibcode:2013GeoRL..40.4279H. doi:10.1002/grl.50838. hdl:20.500.11937/46786. S2CID 54867946.
  7. ^ "Wolfram|Alpha Gravity in Kuala Lumpur", Wolfram Alpha, accessed November 2020
  8. ^ Terry Quinn (2011). From Artefacts to Atoms: The BIPM and the Search for Ultimate Measurement Standards. Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-530786-3.
  9. ^ Resolution of the 3rd CGPM (1901), page 70 (in cm/s2). BIPM – Resolution of the 3rd CGPM
  10. ^ . Cornell University. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  11. ^ "I feel 'lighter' when up a mountain but am I?", National Physical Laboratory FAQ
  12. ^ "The G's in the Machine", NASA, see "Editor's note #2"
  13. ^ a b A. M. Dziewonski, D. L. Anderson (1981). "Preliminary reference Earth model" (PDF). Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors. 25 (4): 297–356. Bibcode:1981PEPI...25..297D. doi:10.1016/0031-9201(81)90046-7. ISSN 0031-9201.
  14. ^ Tipler, Paul A. (1999). Physics for scientists and engineers (4th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman/Worth Publishers. pp. 336–337. ISBN 9781572594913.
  15. ^ Watts, A. B.; Daly, S. F. (May 1981). "Long wavelength gravity and topography anomalies". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 9: 415–418. Bibcode:1981AREPS...9..415W. doi:10.1146/annurev.ea.09.050181.002215.
  16. ^ Gravitational Fields Widget as of Oct 25th, 2012 – WolframAlpha
  17. ^ T.M. Yarwood and F. Castle, Physical and Mathematical Tables, revised edition, Macmillan and Co LTD, London and Basingstoke, Printed in Great Britain by The University Press, Glasgow, 1970, pp 22 & 23.
  18. ^ International Gravity formula 2008-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ a b (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  20. ^ "Gravitation". www.ncert.nic. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  21. ^ Meyer, Ulrich; Sosnica, Krzysztof; Arnold, Daniel; Dahle, Christoph; Thaller, Daniela; Dach, Rolf; Jäggi, Adrian (22 April 2019). "SLR, GRACE and Swarm Gravity Field Determination and Combination". Remote Sensing. 11 (8): 956. Bibcode:2019RemS...11..956M. doi:10.3390/rs11080956. hdl:10281/240694.
  22. ^ Tapley, Byron D.; Watkins, Michael M.; Flechtner, Frank; Reigber, Christoph; Bettadpur, Srinivas; Rodell, Matthew; Sasgen, Ingo; Famiglietti, James S.; Landerer, Felix W.; Chambers, Don P.; Reager, John T.; Gardner, Alex S.; Save, Himanshu; Ivins, Erik R.; Swenson, Sean C.; Boening, Carmen; Dahle, Christoph; Wiese, David N.; Dobslaw, Henryk; Tamisiea, Mark E.; Velicogna, Isabella (May 2019). "Contributions of GRACE to understanding climate change". Nature Climate Change. 9 (5): 358–369. Bibcode:2019NatCC...9..358T. doi:10.1038/s41558-019-0456-2. PMC 6750016. PMID 31534490.
  23. ^ Sośnica, Krzysztof; Jäggi, Adrian; Meyer, Ulrich; Thaller, Daniela; Beutler, Gerhard; Arnold, Daniel; Dach, Rolf (October 2015). "Time variable Earth's gravity field from SLR satellites". Journal of Geodesy. 89 (10): 945–960. Bibcode:2015JGeod..89..945S. doi:10.1007/s00190-015-0825-1.

External links edit

  • Altitude gravity calculator
  • GRACE – Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
  • Geoid 2011 model Potsdam Gravity Potato

gravity, earth, gravity, earth, denoted, acceleration, that, imparted, objects, combined, effect, gravitation, from, mass, distribution, within, earth, centrifugal, force, from, earth, rotation, vector, quantity, whose, direction, coincides, with, plumb, stren. The gravity of Earth denoted by g is the net acceleration that is imparted to objects due to the combined effect of gravitation from mass distribution within Earth and the centrifugal force from the Earth s rotation 2 3 It is a vector quantity whose direction coincides with a plumb bob and strength or magnitude is given by the norm g g displaystyle g mathit mathbf g Earth s gravity measured by NASA GRACE mission showing deviations from the theoretical gravity of an idealized smooth Earth the so called Earth ellipsoid Red shows the areas where gravity is stronger than the smooth standard value and blue reveals areas where gravity is weaker Animated version 1 In SI units this acceleration is expressed in metres per second squared in symbols m s2 or m s 2 or equivalently in newtons per kilogram N kg or N kg 1 Near Earth s surface the acceleration due to gravity accurate to 2 significant figures is 9 8 m s2 32 ft s2 This means that ignoring the effects of air resistance the speed of an object falling freely will increase by about 9 8 metres per second 32 ft s every second This quantity is sometimes referred to informally as little g in contrast the gravitational constant G is referred to as big G The precise strength of Earth s gravity varies with location The agreed upon value for standard gravity is 9 80665 m s2 32 1740 ft s2 by definition 4 This quantity is denoted variously as gn ge though this sometimes means the normal gravity at the equator 9 7803267715 m s2 32 087686258 ft s2 5 g0 or simply g which is also used for the variable local value The weight of an object on Earth s surface is the downwards force on that object given by Newton s second law of motion or F m a force mass acceleration Gravitational acceleration contributes to the total gravity acceleration but other factors such as the rotation of Earth also contribute and therefore affect the weight of the object Gravity does not normally include the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun which are accounted for in terms of tidal effects Contents 1 Variation in magnitude 1 1 Conventional value 1 2 Latitude 1 3 Altitude 1 4 Depth 1 5 Local topography and geology 1 6 Other factors 2 Direction 3 Comparative values worldwide 4 Mathematical models 5 Estimating g from the law of universal gravitation 6 Measurement 6 1 Satellite measurements 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksVariation in magnitude editA non rotating perfect sphere of uniform mass density or whose density varies solely with distance from the centre spherical symmetry would produce a gravitational field of uniform magnitude at all points on its surface The Earth is rotating and is also not spherically symmetric rather it is slightly flatter at the poles while bulging at the Equator an oblate spheroid There are consequently slight deviations in the magnitude of gravity across its surface Gravity on the Earth s surface varies by around 0 7 from 9 7639 m s2 on the Nevado Huascaran mountain in Peru to 9 8337 m s2 at the surface of the Arctic Ocean 6 In large cities it ranges from 9 7806 m s2 7 in Kuala Lumpur Mexico City and Singapore to 9 825 m s2 in Oslo and Helsinki Conventional value edit In 1901 the third General Conference on Weights and Measures defined a standard gravitational acceleration for the surface of the Earth gn 9 80665 m s2 It was based on measurements at the Pavillon de Breteuil near Paris in 1888 with a theoretical correction applied in order to convert to a latitude of 45 at sea level 8 This definition is thus not a value of any particular place or carefully worked out average but an agreement for a value to use if a better actual local value is not known or not important 9 It is also used to define the units kilogram force and pound force Latitude edit nbsp The differences of Earth s gravity around the Antarctic continent The surface of the Earth is rotating so it is not an inertial frame of reference At latitudes nearer the Equator the outward centrifugal force produced by Earth s rotation is larger than at polar latitudes This counteracts the Earth s gravity to a small degree up to a maximum of 0 3 at the Equator and reduces the apparent downward acceleration of falling objects The second major reason for the difference in gravity at different latitudes is that the Earth s equatorial bulge itself also caused by centrifugal force from rotation causes objects at the Equator to be further from the planet s center than objects at the poles The force due to gravitational attraction between two masses a piece of the Earth and the object being weighed varies inversely with the square of the distance between them The distribution of mass is also different below someone on the equator and below someone at a pole The net result is that an object at the Equator experiences a weaker gravitational pull than an object on one of the poles In combination the equatorial bulge and the effects of the surface centrifugal force due to rotation mean that sea level gravity increases from about 9 780 m s2 at the Equator to about 9 832 m s2 at the poles so an object will weigh approximately 0 5 more at the poles than at the Equator 2 10 Altitude edit nbsp The graph shows the variation in gravity relative to the height of an object above the surface nbsp Earth vs Mars vs Moon gravity at elevation Gravity decreases with altitude as one rises above the Earth s surface because greater altitude means greater distance from the Earth s centre All other things being equal an increase in altitude from sea level to 9 000 metres 30 000 ft causes a weight decrease of about 0 29 An additional factor affecting apparent weight is the decrease in air density at altitude which lessens an object s buoyancy 11 This would increase a person s apparent weight at an altitude of 9 000 metres by about 0 08 It is a common misconception that astronauts in orbit are weightless because they have flown high enough to escape the Earth s gravity In fact at an altitude of 400 kilometres 250 mi equivalent to a typical orbit of the ISS gravity is still nearly 90 as strong as at the Earth s surface Weightlessness actually occurs because orbiting objects are in free fall 12 The effect of ground elevation depends on the density of the ground see Slab correction section A person flying at 9 100 m 30 000 ft above sea level over mountains will feel more gravity than someone at the same elevation but over the sea However a person standing on the Earth s surface feels less gravity when the elevation is higher The following formula approximates the Earth s gravity variation with altitude g h g 0 R e R e h 2 displaystyle g h g 0 left frac R mathrm e R mathrm e h right 2 nbsp Where gh is the gravitational acceleration at height h above sea level Re is the Earth s mean radius g0 is the standard gravitational acceleration The formula treats the Earth as a perfect sphere with a radially symmetric distribution of mass a more accurate mathematical treatment is discussed below Depth edit nbsp Gravity at different internal layers of Earth 1 continental crust 2 oceanic crust 3 upper mantle 4 lower mantle 5 6 core A crust mantle boundary nbsp Earth s radial density distribution according to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model PREM 13 nbsp Earth s gravity according to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model PREM 13 Two models for a spherically symmetric Earth are included for comparison The dark green straight line is for a constant density equal to the Earth s average density The light green curved line is for a density that decreases linearly from center to surface The density at the center is the same as in the PREM but the surface density is chosen so that the mass of the sphere equals the mass of the real Earth See also Shell theorem An approximate value for gravity at a distance r from the center of the Earth can be obtained by assuming that the Earth s density is spherically symmetric The gravity depends only on the mass inside the sphere of radius r All the contributions from outside cancel out as a consequence of the inverse square law of gravitation Another consequence is that the gravity is the same as if all the mass were concentrated at the center Thus the gravitational acceleration at this radius is 14 g r G M r r 2 displaystyle g r frac GM r r 2 nbsp where G is the gravitational constant and M r is the total mass enclosed within radius r If the Earth had a constant density r the mass would be M r 4 3 prr3 and the dependence of gravity on depth would be g r 4 p 3 G r r displaystyle g r frac 4 pi 3 G rho r nbsp The gravity g at depth d is given by g g 1 d R where g is acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Earth d is depth and R is the radius of the Earth If the density decreased linearly with increasing radius from a density r0 at the center to r1 at the surface then r r r0 r0 r1 r R and the dependence would be g r 4 p 3 G r 0 r p G r 0 r 1 r 2 R displaystyle g r frac 4 pi 3 G rho 0 r pi G left rho 0 rho 1 right frac r 2 R nbsp The actual depth dependence of density and gravity inferred from seismic travel times see Adams Williamson equation is shown in the graphs below Local topography and geology edit See also Physical geodesy Local differences in topography such as the presence of mountains geology such as the density of rocks in the vicinity and deeper tectonic structure cause local and regional differences in the Earth s gravitational field known as gravitational anomalies 15 Some of these anomalies can be very extensive resulting in bulges in sea level and throwing pendulum clocks out of synchronisation The study of these anomalies forms the basis of gravitational geophysics The fluctuations are measured with highly sensitive gravimeters the effect of topography and other known factors is subtracted and from the resulting data conclusions are drawn Such techniques are now used by prospectors to find oil and mineral deposits Denser rocks often containing mineral ores cause higher than normal local gravitational fields on the Earth s surface Less dense sedimentary rocks cause the opposite nbsp A map of recent volcanic activity and ridge spreading The areas where NASA GRACE measured gravity to be stronger than the theoretical gravity have a strong correlation with the positions of the volcanic activity and ridge spreading There is a strong correlation between the gravity derivation map of earth from NASA GRACE with positions of recent volcanic activity ridge spreading and volcanos these regions have a stronger gravitation than theoretical predictions Other factors edit In air or water objects experience a supporting buoyancy force which reduces the apparent strength of gravity as measured by an object s weight The magnitude of the effect depends on the air density and hence air pressure or the water density respectively see Apparent weight for details The gravitational effects of the Moon and the Sun also the cause of the tides have a very small effect on the apparent strength of Earth s gravity depending on their relative positions typical variations are 2 µm s2 0 2 mGal over the course of a day Direction editMain article Vertical direction nbsp A plumb bob determines the local vertical direction Gravity acceleration is a vector quantity with direction in addition to magnitude In a spherically symmetric Earth gravity would point directly towards the sphere s centre As the Earth s figure is slightly flatter there are consequently significant deviations in the direction of gravity essentially the difference between geodetic latitude and geocentric latitude Smaller deviations called vertical deflection are caused by local mass anomalies such as mountains Comparative values worldwide editTools exist for calculating the strength of gravity at various cities around the world 16 The effect of latitude can be clearly seen with gravity in high latitude cities Anchorage 9 826 m s2 Helsinki 9 825 m s2 being about 0 5 greater than that in cities near the equator Kuala Lumpur 9 776 m s2 The effect of altitude can be seen in Mexico City 9 776 m s2 altitude 2 240 metres 7 350 ft and by comparing Denver 9 798 m s2 1 616 metres 5 302 ft with Washington D C 9 801 m s2 30 metres 98 ft both of which are near 39 N Measured values can be obtained from Physical and Mathematical Tables by T M Yarwood and F Castle Macmillan revised edition 1970 17 Acceleration due to gravity in various cities Location m s2 ft s2 Location m s2 ft s2 Location m s2 ft s2 Location m s2 ft s2 Anchorage 9 826 32 24 Helsinki 9 825 32 23 Oslo 9 825 32 23 Copenhagen 9 821 32 22 Stockholm 9 818 32 21 Manchester 9 818 32 21 Amsterdam 9 817 32 21 Kotagiri 9 817 32 21 Birmingham 9 817 32 21 London 9 816 32 20 Brussels 9 815 32 20 Frankfurt 9 814 32 20 Seattle 9 811 32 19 Paris 9 809 32 18 Montreal 9 809 32 18 Vancouver 9 809 32 18 Istanbul 9 808 32 18 Toronto 9 807 32 18 Zurich 9 807 32 18 Ottawa 9 806 32 17 Skopje 9 804 32 17 Chicago 9 804 32 17 Rome 9 803 32 16 Wellington 9 803 32 16 New York City 9 802 32 16 Lisbon 9 801 32 16 Washington D C 9 801 32 16 Athens 9 800 32 15 Madrid 9 800 32 15 Melbourne 9 800 32 15 Auckland 9 799 32 15 Denver 9 798 32 15 Tokyo 9 798 32 15 Buenos Aires 9 797 32 14 Sydney 9 797 32 14 Nicosia 9 797 32 14 Los Angeles 9 796 32 14 Cape Town 9 796 32 14 Perth 9 794 32 13 Kuwait City 9 792 32 13 Taipei 9 790 32 12 Rio de Janeiro 9 788 32 11 Havana 9 786 32 11 Kolkata 9 785 32 10 Hong Kong 9 785 32 10 Bangkok 9 780 32 09 Manila 9 780 32 09 Jakarta 9 777 32 08 Kuala Lumpur 9 776 32 07 Singapore 9 776 32 07 Mexico City 9 776 32 07 Kandy 9 775 32 07Mathematical models editMain article Theoretical gravity If the terrain is at sea level we can estimate for the Geodetic Reference System 1980 g ϕ displaystyle g phi nbsp the acceleration at latitude ϕ displaystyle phi nbsp g ϕ 9 780327 m s 2 1 0 0053024 sin 2 ϕ 0 0000058 sin 2 2 ϕ 9 780327 m s 2 1 0 0052792 sin 2 ϕ 0 0000232 sin 4 ϕ 9 780327 m s 2 1 0053024 0 0053256 cos 2 ϕ 0 0000232 cos 4 ϕ 9 780327 m s 2 1 0026454 0 0026512 cos 2 ϕ 0 0000058 cos 2 2 ϕ displaystyle begin aligned g phi amp 9 780327 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 left 1 0 0053024 sin 2 phi 0 0000058 sin 2 2 phi right amp 9 780327 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 left 1 0 0052792 sin 2 phi 0 0000232 sin 4 phi right amp 9 780327 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 left 1 0053024 0 0053256 cos 2 phi 0 0000232 cos 4 phi right amp 9 780327 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 left 1 0026454 0 0026512 cos 2 phi 0 0000058 cos 2 2 phi right end aligned nbsp This is the International Gravity Formula 1967 the 1967 Geodetic Reference System Formula Helmert s equation or Clairaut s formula 18 An alternative formula for g as a function of latitude is the WGS World Geodetic System 84 Ellipsoidal Gravity Formula 19 g ϕ G e 1 k sin 2 ϕ 1 e 2 sin 2 ϕ displaystyle g phi mathbb G e left frac 1 k sin 2 phi sqrt 1 e 2 sin 2 phi right nbsp where a b displaystyle a b nbsp are the equatorial and polar semi axes respectively e 2 1 b a 2 displaystyle e 2 1 b a 2 nbsp is the spheroid s eccentricity squared G e G p displaystyle mathbb G e mathbb G p nbsp is the defined gravity at the equator and poles respectively k b G p a G e a G e displaystyle k frac b mathbb G p a mathbb G e a mathbb G e nbsp formula constant then where G p 9 8321849378 m s 2 displaystyle mathbb G p 9 8321849378 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 nbsp 19 g ϕ 9 7803253359 m s 2 1 0 001931852652 sin 2 ϕ 1 0 0066943799901 sin 2 ϕ displaystyle g phi 9 7803253359 mathrm m cdot mathrm s 2 left frac 1 0 001931852652 sin 2 phi sqrt 1 0 0066943799901 sin 2 phi right nbsp where the semi axes of the earth are a 6378137 0 m displaystyle a 6378137 0 mbox m nbsp b 6356752 314245 m displaystyle b 6356752 314245 mbox m nbsp The difference between the WGS 84 formula and Helmert s equation is less than 0 68 mm s 2 Further reductions are applied to obtain gravity anomalies see Gravity anomaly Computation Estimating g from the law of universal gravitation editFrom the law of universal gravitation the force on a body acted upon by Earth s gravitational force is given by F G m 1 m 2 r 2 G M r 2 m displaystyle F G frac m 1 m 2 r 2 left G frac M oplus r 2 right m nbsp where r is the distance between the centre of the Earth and the body see below and here we take M displaystyle M oplus nbsp to be the mass of the Earth and m to be the mass of the body Additionally Newton s second law F ma where m is mass and a is acceleration here tells us that F m g displaystyle F mg nbsp Comparing the two formulas it is seen that g G M r 2 displaystyle g G frac M oplus r 2 nbsp So to find the acceleration due to gravity at sea level substitute the values of the gravitational constant G the Earth s mass in kilograms m1 and the Earth s radius in metres r to obtain the value of g 20 g G M r 2 6 674 10 11 m 3 k g 1 s 2 6 10 24 k g 6 4 10 6 m 2 9 795 2 10 9 77637 m s 2 displaystyle g G frac M oplus r 2 6 674 cdot 10 11 mathrm m 3 kg 1 s 2 times frac 6 times 10 24 mathrm kg 6 4 times 10 6 mathrm m 2 9 frac 795 2 10 approx 9 77637 mathrm m s 2 nbsp This formula only works because of the mathematical fact that the gravity of a uniform spherical body as measured on or above its surface is the same as if all its mass were concentrated at a point at its centre This is what allows us to use the Earth s radius for r The value obtained agrees approximately with the measured value of g The difference may be attributed to several factors mentioned above under Variation in magnitude The Earth is not homogeneous The Earth is not a perfect sphere and an average value must be used for its radius This calculated value of g only includes true gravity It does not include the reduction of constraint force that we perceive as a reduction of gravity due to the rotation of Earth and some of gravity being counteracted by centrifugal force There are significant uncertainties in the values of r and m1 as used in this calculation and the value of G is also rather difficult to measure precisely If G g and r are known then a reverse calculation will give an estimate of the mass of the Earth This method was used by Henry Cavendish Measurement editMain article Gravimetry The measurement of Earth s gravity is called gravimetry Satellite measurements edit This section is an excerpt from Gravimetry Satellite gravimetry edit nbsp Gravity anomaly map from GRACE Currently the static and time variable Earth s gravity field parameters are being determined using modern satellite missions such as GOCE CHAMP Swarm GRACE and GRACE FO 21 22 The lowest degree parameters including the Earth s oblateness and geocenter motion are best determined from satellite laser ranging 23 Large scale gravity anomalies can be detected from space as a by product of satellite gravity missions e g GOCE These satellite missions aim at the recovery of a detailed gravity field model of the Earth typically presented in the form of a spherical harmonic expansion of the Earth s gravitational potential but alternative presentations such as maps of geoid undulations or gravity anomalies are also produced The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment GRACE consists of two satellites that can detect gravitational changes across the Earth Also these changes can be presented as gravity anomaly temporal variations The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory GRAIL also consisted of two spacecraft orbiting the Moon which orbited for three years before their deorbit in 2015 See also edit nbsp Earth sciences portal Escape velocity Concept in celestial mechanics Atmospheric escape Loss of planetary atmospheric gases to outer space Figure of the Earth Size and shape used to model the Earth for geodesy Geopotential Energy related to Earth s gravity Geopotential model Theoretical description of Earth s gravimetric shape Bouguer anomaly Type of gravity anomaly Gravitation of the Moon Gravitational acceleration Change in speed due only to gravity Gravity Attraction of masses and energy Gravity anomaly Difference between ideal and observed gravitational acceleration at a location Gravity of Mars Gravitational force exerted by the planet Mars Newton s law of universal gravitation Classical statement of gravity as force Vertical deflection Measure of the downward gravitational force s shift due to nearby massReferences edit NASA JPL University of Texas Center for Space Research PIA12146 GRACE Global Gravity Animation Photojournal NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Retrieved 30 December 2013 a b Boynton Richard 2001 Precise Measurement of Mass PDF Sawe Paper No 3147 Arlington Texas S A W E Inc Archived from the original PDF on 27 February 2007 Retrieved 22 December 2023 Hofmann Wellenhof B Moritz H 2006 Physical Geodesy 2nd ed Springer ISBN 978 3 211 33544 4 2 1 The total force acting on a body at rest on the earth s surface is the resultant of gravitational force and the centrifugal force of the earth s rotation and is called gravity Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 1901 Declaration relative a l unite de masse et a la definition du poids valeur conventionnelle de gn Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Troisieme Conference Generale des Poids et Mesures in French Paris Gauthier Villars p 68 Le nombre adopte dans le Service international des Poids et Mesures pour la valeur de l acceleration normale de la pesanteur est 980 665 cm sec nombre sanctionne deja par quelques legislations Declaration relative a l unite de masse et a la definition du poids valeur conventionnelle de gn Moritz Helmut 2000 Geodetic Reference System 1980 Journal of Geodesy 74 1 128 133 doi 10 1007 s001900050278 S2CID 195290884 Retrieved 2023 07 26 ge 9 780 326 7715 m s normal gravity at equator Hirt Christian Claessens Sten Fecher Thomas Kuhn Michael Pail Roland Rexer Moritz August 28 2013 New ultrahigh resolution picture of Earth s gravity field Geophysical Research Letters 40 16 4279 4283 Bibcode 2013GeoRL 40 4279H doi 10 1002 grl 50838 hdl 20 500 11937 46786 S2CID 54867946 Wolfram Alpha Gravity in Kuala Lumpur Wolfram Alpha accessed November 2020 Terry Quinn 2011 From Artefacts to Atoms The BIPM and the Search for Ultimate Measurement Standards Oxford University Press p 127 ISBN 978 0 19 530786 3 Resolution of the 3rd CGPM 1901 page 70 in cm s2 BIPM Resolution of the 3rd CGPM Curious About Astronomy Cornell University Archived from the original on 28 July 2013 Retrieved 22 December 2023 I feel lighter when up a mountain but am I National Physical Laboratory FAQ The G s in the Machine NASA see Editor s note 2 a b A M Dziewonski D L Anderson 1981 Preliminary reference Earth model PDF Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 25 4 297 356 Bibcode 1981PEPI 25 297D doi 10 1016 0031 9201 81 90046 7 ISSN 0031 9201 Tipler Paul A 1999 Physics for scientists and engineers 4th ed New York W H Freeman Worth Publishers pp 336 337 ISBN 9781572594913 Watts A B Daly S F May 1981 Long wavelength gravity and topography anomalies Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 9 415 418 Bibcode 1981AREPS 9 415W doi 10 1146 annurev ea 09 050181 002215 Gravitational Fields Widget as of Oct 25th 2012 WolframAlpha T M Yarwood and F Castle Physical and Mathematical Tables revised edition Macmillan and Co LTD London and Basingstoke Printed in Great Britain by The University Press Glasgow 1970 pp 22 amp 23 International Gravity formula Archived 2008 08 20 at the Wayback Machine a b Department of Defense World Geodetic System 1984 Its Definition and Relationships with Local Geodetic Systems NIMA TR8350 2 3rd ed Tbl 3 4 Eq 4 1 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2014 04 11 Retrieved 2015 10 15 Gravitation www ncert nic Retrieved 2022 01 25 Meyer Ulrich Sosnica Krzysztof Arnold Daniel Dahle Christoph Thaller Daniela Dach Rolf Jaggi Adrian 22 April 2019 SLR GRACE and Swarm Gravity Field Determination and Combination Remote Sensing 11 8 956 Bibcode 2019RemS 11 956M doi 10 3390 rs11080956 hdl 10281 240694 Tapley Byron D Watkins Michael M Flechtner Frank Reigber Christoph Bettadpur Srinivas Rodell Matthew Sasgen Ingo Famiglietti James S Landerer Felix W Chambers Don P Reager John T Gardner Alex S Save Himanshu Ivins Erik R Swenson Sean C Boening Carmen Dahle Christoph Wiese David N Dobslaw Henryk Tamisiea Mark E Velicogna Isabella May 2019 Contributions of GRACE to understanding climate change Nature Climate Change 9 5 358 369 Bibcode 2019NatCC 9 358T doi 10 1038 s41558 019 0456 2 PMC 6750016 PMID 31534490 Sosnica Krzysztof Jaggi Adrian Meyer Ulrich Thaller Daniela Beutler Gerhard Arnold Daniel Dach Rolf October 2015 Time variable Earth s gravity field from SLR satellites Journal of Geodesy 89 10 945 960 Bibcode 2015JGeod 89 945S doi 10 1007 s00190 015 0825 1 External links editAltitude gravity calculator GRACE Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment GGMplus high resolution data 2013 Geoid 2011 model Potsdam Gravity Potato Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gravity of Earth amp oldid 1210235677, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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