Borehole Measurement of the Newtonian Gravitational Constant

Abstract

It has been reported that the geophysically determined Newtonian gravitational constant is consistently larger than the laboratory value by 1 to 2% on the basis of gravity measurements in Australian mines. This discrepancy may have strong implications for the physics of gravitation. To test whether similar results can be observed in a different geological environment, gravity measurements in a Michigan borehole have been examined. Although these results cannot be taken as conclusive, owing to the large uncertainties involved in mass determination on a geophysical scale, these measurements are generally consistent with those of the Australian experiment.