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Building Geologically Realistic Initial Conditions for Geodynamic and Seismological Models With the Geodynamic World Builder

Description: 

Global and location specific geodynamical or seismological forward models are based on a variety of geological and geophysical data used to determine the often complex geometry of three-dimensional volumes representing structures such as layers within tectonic plates, crustal and lithospheric terranes, faults and subducting slabs. Creating such complex geological settings in 2D, but especially in 3D can be very challenging. Here we present the latest version of the open source code library, the Geodynamic World Builder (GWB). The GWB is designed to greatly enhance the speed of setting up and modifying such models by parameterization of the problem. The user defines inputs in a JSON-style parameter file, which is a structured nested list describing tectonic features, e.g. a continental, an oceanic or a subducting plate. Each of these tectonic features can be divided into layers (which can have variable thickness) and assigned a specific temperature model (e.g. linear or a plate model), a compositional label (e.g. uniform) and/or a grain size and orientation model. Complex models are developed by sequentially adding structures within a 3D domain. For each point in the domain, the GWB can be queried for the temperature, composition and/or grain size and orientation in that point.

The GWB is written in C++, but can be linked to either geodynamic or seismological models that require complex model setups in almost any programming language through its C, C++, Python and Fortran wrappers. It has already been coupled with the C++ code ASPECT and with the Fortran codes ELEFANT and SEPRAN. The GWB can also be used as a stand-alone application for visualization purposes. We will show various examples in both 2D and 3D and in Cartesian and spherical domains. We will share a range of examples from building regional subduction models using Bird (2003), Slab 2.0 and Litho1.0 to global mantle models. The GWB has an extensive online user Manual and a well documented API through Doxygen available through http://geodynamicworldbuilder.github.io and can be used with Linux, OSX and Windows operating systems.

Session: Numerical Modeling in Seismology: Developments and Applications - III

Type: Oral

Date: 5/1/2024

Presentation Time: 02:00 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Menno

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors