Abstract:

The Gravimetry subject is rare discipline at universities. It belongs to so called “geo-science” subjects, and nowadays such types of disciplines are not very popular. The subject is a part of “Geodesy and geoinformation” bachelor degree curricula at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilnius Tech).

To rise the motivation in studying gravimetry teachers should re-think the course content and teaching-learning methods towards the use of active learning methodologies to achieve a deep approach to studying. The existing Gravimetry subject was improved towards blended course giving more adequate way to satisfy the new generations needs for training, learning and skills/competences development.

Geodetic measurements carried out on the Earth are affected by the Earth’s gravity field. Therefore, information on the gravity field is required for adequate and accurate measurement data processing and any reductions of gravimetric observations. Also the gravity field describes the surfaces of the geoid and the quasigeoid of the accepted system of altitudes used as base for calculating the altitudes of the points on the Earth surface.

As usual, Gravimetry course consists of theoretical and practical parts. We present a concept for a modern gravimetric-geodetic survey, the data processing and analysis of gravimetric observations and, ultimately, the new gravimetric map of the territory of Lithuania. In this connection, we outline the applied algorithms for calculating free-air gravity anomalies and Bouguer anomalies as well as assess their accuracy and the ones of other parameters.

The practical exercises are based on real-life examples, and they are the most critical part of the total course because teaching process should be “face-to-face”. We start from the gravimetric measurements using relative gravimeters in the field, calculations of gravity accelerations and gravity anomalies, and ending with geoid modelling and development of the gravimetric map. Some more details on course peculiarities will be given in the full paper.

Keywords:

Motivation, gravimetry, active learning, blended course, practical exercise.