A scattered equivalent-source method for interpolation and gridding of potential-field data in three dimensions

TLDR: In this article, the inverse distance Newtonian potential function is used to interpolate geophysical data observed at scattered discrete points in three dimensions by relating the point data to a continuous function of equivalent discrete point sources, located beneath some of the data points at a depth proportional to distance to the nearest neighboring data point.

Abstract: Potential‐field geophysical data observed at scattered discrete points in three dimensions can be interpolated (gridded, for example, onto a level surface) by relating the point data to a continuous function of equivalent discrete point sources. The function used here is the inverse‐distance Newtonian potential. The sources, located beneath some of the data points at a depth proportional to distance to the nearest neighboring data point, are determined iteratively. Areas of no data are filled by minimum curvature. For two‐dimensional (2-D) data (all data points at the same elevation), grids calculated by minimum curvature and by equivalent sources are similar, but the equivalent‐source method can be tuned to reduce aliasing. Gravity data in an area of high topographic relief in southwest U.S.A. were gridded by minimum curvature (a 2-D algorithm) and also by equivalent sources (3-D). The minimum‐curvature grid shows strong correlation with topography, as expected, because variation in gravity effect due to...