Trends in gravity changes from 2009 to 2013 derived from ground-based gravimetry and GRACE data in North China

Abstract

North China is a key region for studying geophysical progress. In this study, ground-based and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravity data from 2009 to 2013 are used to calculate the gravity change rate (GCR) using the polynomial fitting method. In general, the study area was divided into the Shanxi rift, Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province), and Bohai Bay Basin (BBB) regions. Results of the distribution of the GCR determined from ground-based gravimetry show that the GCR appears to be “negative-positive-negative” from west to east, which indicates that different geophysical mechanisms are involved in the tectonic activities of these regions. However, GRACE solutions are conducted over a larger spatial scale and are able to show a difference between southern and northern areas and a mass redistribution of land water storage.

Keywords

• North China
• Ground-based gravimetry
• Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)
• Polynomial fitting method
• Gravity changes rate
• Tectonic activities
• Geophysical mechanisms
• Mass redistribution