NOAA Plans Gravity Testing to Measure Water Flow
Photo: NOAA
There are variations in the size of planet Earth, as well as its shape, mass and distribution. This can cause slight variations in the strength of gravity’s pull, which is why Earth’s gravity is different depending on where you are.
Measuring these variations in gravity helps scientists create a height measurement system based on where water will flow. Having these measurements will help prepare for floods, sea level rise and other emergencies — making our coastal communities more resilient and airing a number of diverse industries such as agriculture, construction, transportation and urban planning.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is also exploring a pilot program — but without a pilot. NOAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, through the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research program, is testing unmanned aircraft systems for gravity measurements. In order to do that, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey is in the middle of a 15-year effort called “Gravity for the Redefinition for the American Vertical Datum, or GRAV-D. GRAV-D’s goal is to increase the accuracy of today’s elevation measurements with more precise data obtained through measuring gravity nationwide. NGS scientists are collecting gravity data from all over the country with aircraft.
Aurora Flight Science in Manassas, Virginia, was awarded the broadly competed project. This month, Aurora tested this technology, demonstrating the potential to conduct regular unmanned flights with NOAA instruments. These test flights represent one of the first times an unmanned aircraft system was evaluated for measuring activity.
As 50 percent of the nation is already measuring through piloted airplanes, NGS hopes to include unmanned aircraft as a tool to reach remote locations more efficiently, at lower costs and with less environmental impact.
NGSA also plans to complete the GRAV-D project in 2022. This will bring about big benefits, with an estimated $522 million in annual economic benefits and approximately $240 million saved from improved floodplain mapping alone.
