NASA’s Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf) is a compact quantum sensor to map Earth’s gravity with unprecedented precision. Detecting underground features like water and minerals, it offers ten times greater sensitivity than traditional tools. It could also aid planetary exploration, climate science, and testing fundamental physics like general relativity.
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NASA is developing a quantum sensor for gravity measurements that will map Earth's surface and subterranean features with extreme precision.
NASA, along with private companies and academic institutions, is building the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf), the first-ever space-based quantum sensor designed to measure tiny changes in Earth’s gravity.
This device uses advanced quantum technology to detect subtle gravitational shifts caused by natural processes like moving water, earthquakes, or shifting rocks. These measurements help scientists map underground features such as aquifers (water reservoirs), mineral deposits, and oil reserves.
The sensor is compact, highly sensitive, and could revolutionize fields like resource management, navigation, climate science, and even national security. NASA plans to test this technology in space by the end of the decade.
Earth’s gravity isn’t uniform—it varies slightly due to differences in mass beneath the surface. For example, areas with more mass (like mountains) have stronger gravity, while areas with less mass (like valleys) have weaker pulls. These small variations, though invisible to us, reveal critical information about what lies underground.
Traditional tools for measuring gravity are bulky and less accurate. The QGGPf, however, uses quantum technology to achieve up to ten times greater sensitivity than classical sensors, making it a game-changer for understanding Earth’s hidden resources and geological processes.
It weighs only 125 kilograms. This is much smaller and lighter than older gravity-measuring tools, making it easier and cheaper to launch into space.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Why Gravitational acceleration increase from the equator to the poles? A) The Earth's core is denser at the poles. B) The centrifugal force is zero at the poles. C) The atmospheric density is higher at the poles. D) The Earth's magnetic field is stronger at the poles. Answer: B Explanation: As the Earth rotates, objects on its surface experience an apparent outward force called the centrifugal force. This force is directed away from the Earth's axis of rotation and is strongest at the equator, where the rotational speed is highest. At the poles, which lie on the axis of rotation, the rotational speed is zero, and therefore, the centrifugal force is zero. This centrifugal force opposes the Earth's gravitational pull, effectively reducing the apparent gravitational acceleration |
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