Instrument

AIRGrav
Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter

The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter designed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is typically used for gravity surveys over gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been used for surveys over polar and coastal regions. AIRGrav has a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and samples data at a rate of 128 Hz.

Image of the AIRGrav sensor during IceBridge

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Magnetic/Electric

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity Anomalies

Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/seafloor Topography > Bathymetry

Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field

Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity

Vertical Measurement Regions

Land Surface

Temporal Resolution

128 Hz

Spatial Resolution

2 km

Measurement Frequency

N/A

Calibration Details

Currently unavailble

Online Information

Lead Investigator
Stephan Sanders
Technical Contact
Stephan Sanders
Instrument Maker
Sander Geophysics Limited
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Overview Publication
Repository
- National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (NSIDC DAAC)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

Cessna 208B

Cessna Grand Caravan 208B

1 Campaign · 1 Instrument

OMG

Oceans Melting Greenland

2015—2021

Greenland

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2019-08-12	2019-09-05
2018-08-22	2018-09-11
2017-10-14	2017-10-23
2015-07-25	2015-09-21
2020-03-27	2020-04-15
2020-08-16	2020-09-14
2021-08-26	2021-09-16
2019-03-05	2019-04-16
2018-03-06	2018-03-20
2016-09-13	2016-10-10
2017-03-11	2017-03-22
2016-03-20	2016-05-31

· 5 Data Products

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

36 Campaigns · 168 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

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Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

17 Campaigns · 104 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

AS350

Heli-Greenland AS350

1 Campaign · 2 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13