Underworld Lithospheric Instabilities Models - Overview

The Exxon benchmarks began as an effort to couple together SPModel and Underworld, running tectonic models (Underworld) combined with surface processes (SPModel). Initial efforts, while promising, raised several questions about how best to implement and test the underlaying physics. A suite of 20 benchmarks were developed jointly by Louis Moresi and Fabio Capitanio of Monash University, and Bill Powell and Gary Karner from ExxonMobil, designed to thoroughly test the tectonics. Isostasy, thermal diffusion and convection, flexure and gravitational anomalies are the main features under scrutiny, each benchmark building on the last to provide confidence in more and more complex physical models.

Try the Underworld lithospheric instabilities models yourself in the:

Uniform Density Extension

A 2D single layer model, with uniform viscosity, uniform density and a constant velocity extension. There is an air layer above the solid material to facilitate the formation of topography. The bottom boundary has an isostasy inflow/outflow condition.

Stable Density Contrast Extension

A 2D 2 layer model. The upper 'crust' layer has a lighter density than the lower 'mantle' layer. Each layer has uniform viscosity. The model undergoes constant velocity extension. There is an air layer above the solid material to facilitate the formation of topography. The bottom boundary has an isostasy inflow/outflow condition.

Uniform Density Plastic Extension

A 2D 2 layer model. The upper 'crust' layer and the lower 'mantle' layer both have the same uniform density and viscosity. The crust layer has, in addition, a Von-Mises plasticity law applied. The model undergoes constant velocity extension. There is an air layer above the solid material to facilitate the formation of topography. The bottom boundary has an isostasy inflow/outflow condition.

Stable Density Contrast Plastic Extension

A 2D 2 layer model. The upper 'crust' layer has a lighter density than the lower 'mantle' layer. Each layer has uniform viscosity. The crust layer has, in addition, a Von-Mises plasticity law applied. The model undergoes constant velocity extension. There is an air layer above the solid material to facilitate the formation of topography. The bottom boundary has an isostasy inflow/outflow condition.

-- Wendy Mason - 29 June 2010
-- Luke Hodkinson - 25 June 2010

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