numerical modelling

Searching for future directions in tectonic modelling

Editorial Team 3 August 2, 2019

Searching for future directions in tectonic modelling. Boundary images by domdomegg - Own work, CC BY 4.0, in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics.

Geoscientists frequently use forward geodynamic simulations to test hypotheses derived from geophysical and geologic observations. While numerical simulations of lithospheric deformation have lead to key advances in our understanding of tectonic processes, in many cases it remains difficult to ascertain whether numerical models reproduce observations for the correct underlying regions. This week, ...[Read More]

It doesn’t work! (Asking questions about scientific software)

Editorial team 1 July 3, 2019

Numerical modelling is not always a walk in the park. In fact, many of us occasionally encounter problems that we cannot directly solve ourselves, and thus rely on help from others. In this month’s Wit & Wisdom post, Patrick Sanan, postdoctoral researcher at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics group at ETH Zurich, will talk about asking the right questions about scientific software. As an experienc ...[Read More]

Production and recycling of Archean continental crust

Editorial Team 4 June 19, 2019

Beautiful swirly mantle. What kind of secrets are hidden here?

Continents are essential for the development and survival of life on Earth. However, as surprising as it may sound, there did not exist a planetary scale numerical model to show the formation of the oldest continents until the recent study ‘Growing primordial continental crust self-consistently in global mantle convection models‘ in Gondwana Research by Jain et al., 2019. Hot off the p ...[Read More]

The past is the key

Editorial Team 2 May 29, 2019

“The present is the key to the past” is a oft-used phrase in the context of understanding our planet’s complex evolution. But this perspective can also be flipped, reflected, and reframed. In this Geodynamics 101 post, Lorenzo Colli, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Houston, USA, showcases some of the recent advances in modelling mantle convection. Mantl ...[Read More]