World Gravity Model

Due to an uneven distribution of mass inside the Earth, the Earth's gravity field is not uniform - that is, it has "lumps". By far the largest is a flattening at the poles, called the Earth's oblateness, but in this model we've greatly exaggerated the scale so that many smaller features can be seen. The GRACE Mission will map out the precise location and size of these lumps, enabling greater understanding of the structure of the Earth. Additionally, GRACE will monitor the mass and location of water as it moves around on the surface of the Earth, cycling between the land, oceans, and polar ice caps.

RealVideo: www.csr.utexas.edu