ESA's GOCE Satellite Provides Gravity Map of Earth

kaulike writes "The European Space Agency's GOCE satellite, launched in March 2009, has provided a spectacular, highly detailed map of our favorite gravity well. This map shows the normalized surface of the earth as defined by gravity, showing the relative altitude differences from the average for each surveyed point. The article provides the helpful metaphor that a ball resting on this surface would not roll anywhere, even though there would be visual slopes, as gravity is equalized across the globe. There is a fascinating deep area in the Indian ocean (-100M) and a high area near Iceland (+80M), proving conclusively that our world is not homogeneous in terms of density (or practically any other measure). Does anyone know whether these anomalies correspond to known geographic phenomena? Deposits of heavy metals perhaps, or hotspots where the mantle is thinner? I know little about geodetic stuff, but I'm curious about the reasons for wrinkles in the data set."

First?

[frank_adrian314159]

Gravity map? Heavy, man!

known geographic phenomena

[nurb432]

No, but they do correspond to the location of the stargates.

Re:Interesting Pattern Near the Ring of Fire

[BJ_Covert_Action]

Oh, I'd also like to point out, just for the sake of inflammatory goodness on the interwebs, that America is entirely green and homogenous, thus scientifically proving that we are the best at gravity as well as everything else. Also, we officially qualify as normal and neutral so take that all you backwards-ass, long-haired, rock-and-roll loving, high/low gravity hippy nutjobs on the rest of the continents! Give me back my 9.806 m/s^2 .... I mean...32.174 ft/sec^2....aww hell, I made it back to my OP.

Re:First?

[Anonymous Coward]

There's that word again; "heavy". Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?

Re:Interesting Pattern Near the Ring of Fire

[Arthur Grumbine]

Well I was hopping it explained why Americans are fatter than the rest of the world...

I fail to see how your hopping would explain anything besides minute fluctuations in the gravity between your feet and the ground, and your predilection towards hats with ear flaps.

Re:Map of our favorite gravity well

[Anonymous Coward]

Completely worthless map. The US is not in the center.