Five years’ gravity observation with the superconducting gravimeter OSG#058 at Syowa Station, East Antarctica: gravitational effects of accumulated snow mass

Continuous gravimetric observations have been made with three successive generations of superconducting gravimeter over 20 yr at Syowa Station ( $39.6\deg$ E, $69.0\deg$ S), East Antarctica. The third-generation instrument, OSG#058, was installed in January 2010 and was calibrated by an absolute gravimeter during January and February, 2010. The estimated scale factor was −73.823 ± 0.053 μGal V−1 (1 μGal = 10−8 m s−2). The first 5 yr of OSG#058 data from 2010 January 7 to 2015 January 10 were decomposed into tidal waves (M3 to Ssa) and other non-tidal components by applying the Bayesian tidal analysis program BAYTAP. Long-term non-tidal gravity residuals, which were obtained by subtracting annual and 18.6 year tidal waves and the predicted gravity response to the Earth's variable rotation, showed significant correlation with the accumulated snow depth measured at Syowa Station. The greatest correlation occurred when the gravity variations lagged the accumulated snow depth by 21 d. To estimate the gravitational effect of the accumulated snow mass, we inferred a conversion factor of 3.13 ± 0.08 μGal m−1 from this relation. The accumulated snow depth at Syowa Station was found to represent an extensive terrestrial water storage (the snow accumulation) around Syowa Station, which was estimated from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite gravity data. The snow accumulation around Syowa Station was detectable by the superconducting gravimeter.