Yue Zhao
Today’s NetherMod update is written by Yue Zhao. She did her MSc at Utrecht University and is now a PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. To study the thermal evolution of the Moon, she incorporates high temperature and pressure experimental results from her group into numerical models of lunar mantle convection.
After a wonderful ice-breaking evening in the glimmering setting sun over Lake Veluwemeer, today we started off the first day of science!
Today’s talks followed the theme of crust/lithosphere modelling. The topics ranged widely from the rifting of mechanically heterogeneous lithosphere to the generation and destruction of flat slabs, from continental rifting modelled at a global scale to renewed computational methods for two-phase flow. Even though these are not exactly the topics I focus on in my PhD, it was great fun to hear about what other cool work my fellow geodynamicists are doing.
What I really like about this conference is that the talks are one hour long, so the speakers really have the time to provide the background and build up their stories. Unlike the common ten-minute presentations at most other conferences, which are only meant for people who are already familiar with the topic, the long talks at NetherMod are meant to properly introduce problems and invite discussions. They are meant for everyone in the room to understand!
What is the future of geodynamics? It is in the advances of mathematical and physical understandings of natural processes, in better software, in more realistic parameters, in more accurate observations with which we can evaluate our models. The future of geodynamics is what WE create. So, stay tuned to this community!
