Gravimétrica

Gravimétrica refers to the measurement of gravitational acceleration. This measurement is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications. It is often used in geophysics to study the Earth's interior and locate mineral deposits or underground structures. Variations in gravitational acceleration can indicate changes in density beneath the surface.

In geodesy, gravimétrica measurements are used to determine the Earth's shape and its gravitational field. This data helps in creating accurate topographic maps and understanding sea level variations. The unit of gravimétrica measurement is typically the Galileo (Gal) or its sub-unit, the milligal (mGal), which is one-thousandth of a Gal. A more common modern unit is the microgal, representing one-millionth of a Gal, or the SI unit, m/s².

Beyond Earth sciences, gravimétrica techniques are employed in navigation systems, particularly for inertial navigation where accelerometers measure changes in motion, including those due to gravity. In engineering, gravimétrica surveys can be used for site investigations before construction projects. The precision of gravimétrica instruments has improved significantly over time, allowing for increasingly detailed and accurate measurements. These instruments, known as gravimeters, can be absolute, measuring the acceleration directly, or relative, measuring the difference in acceleration between two points.