National Gravity Compilation 2019: First Vertical Derivative Grid of Australia

Nearly 1.4 million gravity stations from the Australian National Gravity Database and offshore sources were used to create this continental-scale grid. The grid, with a cell size of approximately 435 meters, shows the first vertical derivative of de-trended global isostatic residual anomalies. Geoscience Australia processed and quality-checked the data, which incorporates ground observations collected from the 1940s to 2019.

Use Cases

• Map geological structures and density contrasts in the subsurface based on the first vertical derivative of gravity anomalies.
• Support mineral and resource exploration targeting based on processed gravity data covering Australia and its margins.
• Integrate with other geophysical datasets for regional crustal studies based on the continental-scale grid coverage.
• Calibrate or validate gravity inversion models based on the quality-controlled, processed station data.

Strengths

• Derived from nearly 1.4 million quality-controlled gravity stations, providing dense continental coverage.
• Incorporates data from multiple sources collected over decades, from the 1940s to September 2019.
• Processed using standardized methods and a Fast Fourier Transform to produce a specific geophysical derivative.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Station spacing is variable, ranging from 11 km to less than 1 km, which may affect local resolution consistency.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, incorporating the Australian National Gravity Database and global offshore grids.

Collection Method

Ground and marine gravity observations processed via standard methods and FFT to create a derived grid.

Time Range

Ground data from the 1940s to 2019, with the compilation dated September 2019.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 06:26:06.765346; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australia and its continental margins.