Underworld

a long term geodynamics simulation platform

Underworld Melt Model
- Numerical Method

Governing Equations

The momentum equation:

The continuity equation:

The energy equation:

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About the Underworld Software Suite

Here we provide a very brief introduction to the Underworld software suite used to run the 3D subduction model in this tutorial.

Underworld is a parallelized particle-in-cell finite element code. It uses a layered approach to provide the user with a flexible computational geodynamics modelling software. Underworld is built on the PICellerator, StGDomain, StGFEM and StGermain packages, and also comes packaged with gLucifer visualisation software (Figure 2). For details on the numerical implementation and how these parts fit together see:

• Moresi, L., Quenette, S., Lemiale, V., Meriaux, C., Appelbe, B., and Mühlhaus, H.B., 2007. Computational approaches to studying non-linear dynamics of the crust and mantle, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 163 (1-4), 69-82, doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2007.06.009

Figure 2: Diagram of Underworld Program Structure (Figure 1.1, Humble,
K. (Ed.), 2010, Underworld User Manual).

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-- Wendy Mason - 28 June 2010
-- Margarete Jadamec - 13 April 2010
-- Julian Giordani - 25 June 2010