Field-deployable hybrid gravimetry: projecting absolute accuracy across a remote 24 km2 survey via daily quantum calibration
Hybrid gravimetry combines the mobility of relative gravimeters with the long-term stability of an absolute reference. Following our previous demonstration of this concept under controlled field conditions, we investigate whether quantum-assisted hybrid gravimetry retains its calibration performance during an extended survey under realistic operational constraints. A transportable atomic gravimeter provided routine \(\upmu {\textrm{Gal}}\) -level calibration of two mobile spring gravimeters throughout a seven-day survey spanning 24 km \(^2\) of dense tropical terrain. Despite rainfall, dense canopy, and limited field infrastructure, the atomic reference enabled high-precision asynchronous comparison of relative measurements while suppressing instrumental drift in regions where GPS positioning remained reliable. These results demonstrate that transportable atomic gravimeters can provide practical calibration references for extended geophysical surveys, extending hybrid quantum gravimetry beyond controlled demonstrations toward realistic field deployment.
Authors
- Nathan Shettell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5990-1167)
- Fong En Oon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2800-8843)
- Rainer Dumke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4752-0903)
- Kai Sheng Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5298-9688)
- Elizaveta Nikitichna Maksimova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5285-3759)
- Hong Hui Chen
Institutions
- Centre for Quantum Technologies (SG)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Nanyang Technological University (SG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2026-11-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-78297-5
- Primary Topic
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Research Foundation Singapore