The gravity field obtained after latitude, elevation, Bouguer, and terrain corrections have been applied to the measured (observed or raw ) gravity data. The Bouguer (named after Pierre Bouguer, a French geodesist) gravity field is often noted as simple Bouguer for the gravity field before applying terrain corrections or complete Bouguer for the gravity field after applying terrain (and sometimes curvature) corrections.

The gravity anomalies observed in the Bouguer field are caused by lateral density contrasts within the sedimentary section, crust and sub-crust of the earth.

A measured above sea level Bouguer gravity field and accurately corrected to sea level datum is not equivalent to gravity measured at sea level. Anomalies caused by mass inhomogeneities between station elevation and datum and which were measured at the original station elevations remain in the data unless special corrections are made.