NSF COLDEX CXA2: Airborne Gravimeter Measurements Over Antarctica

Raw acceleration and gravity measurements from a GT-2A gravimeter aboard NSF COLDEX aircraft during the 2023-2024 Antarctic season. The data includes sensor, platform, and header files with 18 columns each, formatted as ASCII text and organized by flight. An absolute gravity tie of 982316.4 mGal was established at McMurdo Station for processing reference.

Use Cases

• Calculate gravity anomalies based on raw acceleration measurements after combining with precise GPS trajectories.
• Analyze aircraft motion and platform stabilization using the 3-axis platform angular velocity and damping data.
• Calibrate gravimeter sensor readings using the scale correction parameters detailed in the header files.
• Study temporal variations in gravity during flight operations using the high-frequency time-series data.

Strengths

• Provides raw, unprocessed acceleration data from a specific GT-2A gravimeter (SN018), allowing for custom processing.
• Includes three distinct file types (G, S, H) with detailed 18-column schemas for sensor data, platform state, and flight parameters.
• References a precisely determined absolute gravity value (982316.4 mGal) at the aircraft parking place for calibration.

Limitations

• Data is not georeferenced; precise GPS trajectories from a separate source are required for meaningful analysis.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred from the general description after download.
• Row count and total data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale processing.

Provenance

Source

NSF COLDEX (Continental Lithosphere Dynamics Experiment) airborne campaign.

Collection Method

Airborne measurements collected by a GT-2A gravity meter (SN018) aboard research aircraft.

Time Range

2023-2024 Antarctic season.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-01 04:10:11; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Antarctic region, with specific flights and a tie point at McMurdo Station.