Abstract: Provided is an aircraft 10 which has been configured for conducting airborne gravimetry surveys, comprising a gravimeter 14, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 18 arranged in signal communication with the gravimeter 14, as well as a Doppler lidar system 20 arranged in signal communication with the gravimeter 14. The lidar system 20 is configured to determine a vertical velocity of the aircraft 10 at a predetermined time, with a time signal from the GNSS receiver 18 used to operatively synchronise both the gravimeter 14 and lidar system 20 measurements. In this manner, a gravitational acceleration measurement of the gravimeter 14 is differentially isolable from a kinematic acceleration derivable from the synchronous lidar measurement.

Abstract: Provided is an aircraft 10 which has been configured for conducting airborne gravimetry surveys, comprising a gravimeter 14, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 18 arranged in signal communication with the gravimeter 14, as well as a Doppler lidar system 20 arranged in signal communication with the gravimeter 14. The lidar system 20 is configured to determine a vertical velocity of the aircraft 10 at a predetermined time, with a time signal from the GNSS receiver 18 used to operatively synchronise both the gravimeter 14 and lidar system 20 measurements. In this manner, a gravitational acceleration measurement of the gravimeter 14 is differentially isolable from a kinematic acceleration derivable from the synchronous lidar measurement.