Gravity Variations and Ground Deformations Resulting from Core Dynamics

Abstract

Abstract Fluid motion within the Earth’s liquid outer core leads to internal mass redistribution. This occurs through the advection of density anomalies within the volume of the liquid core and by deformation of the solid boundaries of the mantle and inner core which feature density contrasts. It also occurs through torques acting on the inner core reorienting its non-spherical shape. These in situ mass changes lead to global gravity variations, and global deformations (inducing additional gravity variations) occur in order to maintain the mechanical equilibrium of the whole Earth. Changes in Earth’s rotation vector (and thus of the global centrifugal potential) induced by core flows are an additional source of global deformations and associated gravity changes originating from core dynamics. Here, we review how each of these different core processes operates, how gravity changes and ground deformations from each could be reconstructed, as well as ways to estimate their amplitudes. Based on our current understanding of core dynamics, we show that, at spherical harmonic degree 2, core processes contribute to gravity variations and ground deformations that are approximately a factor 10 smaller than those observed and caused by dynamical processes within the fluid layers at the Earth’s surface. The larger the harmonic degree, the smaller is the contribution from the core. Extracting a signal of core origin requires the accurate removal of all contributions from surface processes, which remains a challenge. Article Highlights Dynamical processes in Earth's fluid core lead to global gravity variations and surface ground deformations We review how these processes operate, how signals of core origin can be reconstructed and estimate their amplitudes Core signals are a factor 10 smaller than the observed signals; extracting a signal of core origin remains a challenge