Gravity's Potato
Potsdam Gravity Potato (credit: NASA, GRACE, DLR)
You likely think gravity is a constant force wherever you stand on Earth. Think again!
This fundamental force of physics, that keeps us firmly on the ground instead of drifting off into space, is unevenly distributed around the globe. Earth monitoring satellites have measured variations in the planet's gravitational field which allowed creation of the precise gravity maps from the data. The Earth takes on more the shape of a lumpy potato than a round ball.
Compiled by investigaters at a geosciences center in Germany created the Potsdam Gravity Potato. The global map shows areas colored red, with slightly stronger gravity, and blue areas, with slightly weaker gravity. Bumps and valleys are attributed to geologic features, like the mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Himalayas, but others may relate to unusually high or low sub-surface rock densities. The monitoring data continues being analyzed to confirm the differences.
The new gravity map is pretty cool no matter what shape it is called. WHB