Inversion of Gravity Data Derived from Satellite Altimetry to Estimate Seafloor Topography (Case Study: Oman Sea)

Estimating accurate bathymetry has many applications in science and engineering. although ship borne sounding are precise method to create bathymetry chart but this method is time confusing and extensive، hence in many oceans region especially in the deeper region don’t exist sufficient data. For this reasons the use of methods that are cost-effective in terms of time and cost are taken into consideration. Satellite altimetry، for over three decades، measures sea level anomaly. For some time، scientists have used these data to measure the gravity field parameters such as gravity، geoid undulations and component of deflection of vertical. Subsurface structures in a region affect in the gravity anomaly. One of the main sources of gravity on sea is seafloor topography. Smith and Sandwell proved that in the wave domain gravity anomaly are most correlated with the seafloor topography in the wavelength range from 15 to 160 km. in this paper we will try to estimate seafloor topography in Oman sea first we filter gravity anomaly and then downward continue them to the mean depth and finally by using Weiner optimization method and ship track line gravity data estimate seafloor topography. It is shown that when we combine gravity data and ship borne track our result improve 7 m with comparisons to shipborne track only.