The regions with the lowest gravity on Earth are not confined to a single country, but are primarily located in areas around Sri Lanka and the Hudson Bay area in Canada.
The idea that a single country definitively has the "lowest gravity" is misleading because gravity variations are regional phenomena tied to mass distribution within the Earth. These variations, known as gravity anomalies, can occur over relatively localized areas, crossing national borders.
Areas of Low Gravity:
- Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean: The area at the southern tip of Sri Lanka, and extending into the Indian Ocean east of the Maldives, exhibits lower-than-average gravity.
- Hudson Bay, Canada: The area surrounding Hudson Bay in northern Canada also shows a significant gravity dip.
Why These Gravity Anomalies Exist:
The gravity anomalies are largely due to the following reasons:
- Post-glacial rebound: The Laurentide ice sheet, which covered much of North America during the last ice age, exerted immense pressure on the Earth's mantle. Now that the ice has melted, the land is slowly rebounding, resulting in a lower local gravity field around Hudson Bay.
- Mantle Convection: Variations in the density and flow of the Earth's mantle can also cause variations in gravity. These variations affect locations like the area near Sri Lanka.
Conclusion:
While we can point to specific regions with lower-than-average gravity, attributing the absolute lowest gravity solely to one country is an oversimplification. The lowest gravity is found in areas around Sri Lanka and Hudson Bay (Canada).
