“Field-deployable hybrid gravimetry: projecting absolute accuracy across a remote 24 km2 survey via daily quantum calibration” (2026), by Nathan Shettell et al. Earth and Planetary Sciences research paper. Original abstract below, unchanged. A free PDF is available.

Field-deployable hybrid gravimetry: projecting absolute accuracy across a remote 24 km2 survey via daily quantum calibration

Nathan Shettell, Kai Sheng Lee, Fong En Oon et al. · November 2, 2026 · Earth and Planetary Sciences

Abstract

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 {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.

Free PDF DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-78297-5