Emerald Login
   

Welcome guest

Article Request:
Adaptive finite element methods in geodynamics: Convection dominated mid-ocean ridge and subduction zone simulations

Article Information:

Title:

Adaptive finite element methods in geodynamics: Convection dominated mid-ocean ridge and subduction zone simulations

Author(s):

D.R. Davies, J.H. Davies, O. Hassan, K. Morgan, P. Nithiarasu

Journal:

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow

Year:

2008

Volume:

18

Issue:

7/8

Page:

1015 - 1035


ISSN:

0961-5539


DOI:

10.1108/09615530810899079

Publisher:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Acknowledgements:

This project was enabled with the assistance of IBM Deep Computing at Swansea University, together with the Helix facility at Cardiff University (HEFCW, SRIF). DRD would like to acknowledge support from both NERC and EPSRC as part of the Environmental Mathematics and Statistics (EMS) studentship programme (NER/S/E/2004/12725). The authors also thank Scott King for help and support with CONMAN and a number of colleagues, particularly Ben Evans, Richard Davies and Martin Wolstencroft, for helpful discussions.

Document Access:

Existing customers:

Please login above.

Purchase this document:
Price payable: GBP £13.00
plus handling charge of GBP £1.50 and VAT where applicable.
Purchase

Request this document:
Print or e-mail a document request to your librarian.
Request

Reprints & permissions:
Image: Rightslink Request

Abstract:

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an adaptive finite element procedure that improves the quality of convection dominated mid-ocean ridge (MOR) and subduction zone (SZ) simulations in geodynamics.

Design/methodology/approach – The method adapts the mesh automatically around regions of high-solution gradient, yielding enhanced resolution of the associated flow features. The approach utilizes an automatic, unstructured mesh generator and a finite element flow solver. Mesh adaptation is accomplished through mesh regeneration, employing information provided by an interpolation-based local error indicator, obtained from the computed solution on an existing mesh.

Findings – The proposed methodology works remarkably well at improving solution accuracy for both MOR and SZ simulations. Furthermore, the method is computationally highly efficient.

Originality/value – To date, successful goal-orientated/error-guided grid adaptation techniques have, to the knowledge, not been utilized within the field of geodynamics. This paper presents the first true geodynamical application of such methods.

Keywords:

Finite element analysis, Flow, Meshes, Oceanography, Simulation


Article Type:

Research paper


Article URL:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/09615530810899079

Top