Influence of DEM grid spacing and correction radius on terrain correction in gravity exploration

To remove the effect of terrain mass on observed gravity values, it is necessary to conduct terrain correction in gravity exploration. Terrains have the greatest impact on gravity values because they are the closest to observation points. However, the complex topographic relief makes it difficult to precisely determine the variation of topographic relief. Therefore, terrain correction is the most critical factor in the improvement of the precision of gravity exploration. The grid size of terrain data and the terrain correction radius are the key factors affecting the calculation precision of terrain correction. This study collected the DEM data with resolutions of 5 m, 10 m, 25 m, 50 m, and 100 m for plains, hills, and mountains. Based on these data, this study calculated conventional and generalized terrain correction values under different grid spacings and correction ranges and analyzed the influence of different grid spacings and correction radii on terrain correction in gravity exploration. The results are as follows: the gravity effect of the terrain mass above the geoid on the observation points was mainly concentrated in the range of 0~5 000 m and accounted for about 90% of the influence value of the total terrain mass. Attention should be paid to the correction of the middle and far areas during the terrain correction of hills and mountains, and it is necessary to appropriately increase the correction range of the middle areas; Different types of terrains had different requirements for grid spacings, and greater variations in topographic relief imposed higher requirements for the resolution DEM data. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, this study proposed some suggestions on the selection of DEM grid spacings and correction radii for different types of terrains. This study provides an important reference for the theoretical study and specification refinement of gravity terrain correction and has a great prospect for applications.