Unique geologic insights from 'non-unique' gravity and magnetic interpretation
(PhysOrg.com) -- In many fields of applied science, such as geology, there are often tensions and disagreements between scientists who specialize in analyses of problems using mathematical models to describe sets of collected data, and those that rely on on-the-ground observations and empirical analyses. One common source of these disagreements arises from applications of geophysics -- studies of variations in gravity or Earth's magnetic field -- that use models that are strictly (from a mathematical point of view) non-unique. For example, using theories derived from Isaac Newton's studies of gravitational attraction, a geophysicist who measures local variations in gravitational acceleration that are produced by contrasts in the density of rocks below Earth's surface can calculate an infinite set of mathematically valid sources (with different shapes, depths, and contrasts in density) that would explain the measured gravity difference (or anomaly). This theoretical non-uniqueness leads many geologists to conclude that such geophysical...
