Use of spheroidal models in gravitational tomography

Abstract: The direct gravimetry problem is solved using the subdivision of each body of a deposit into a set of vertical adjoining bars, and in the inverse problem each body of a deposit is modeled by a uniform ellipsoid of revolution (spheroid). Well-known formulas for z-component of gravitational intensity of a spheroid are transformed to a convenient form. Parameters of a spheroid are determined by minimizing the Tikhonov smoothing functional using constraints on the parameters. This makes the ill-posed inverse problem by unique and stable. The Bulakh algorithm for initial estimating the depth and mass of a deposit is modified. The technique is illustrated by numerical model examples of deposits in the form of two and five bodies. The inverse gravimetry problem is interpreted as a gravitational tomography problem or the intravision of the Earth's crust and mantle.