Numerical modelling of tectonic plates subduction using X-FEM
The numerical modelling of plate subduction requires solving a coupled thermo-mechanical highly-nonlinear transient problem. The mechanical description of the phenomenon results in a multiphase quasi-static Stokes flow, where the inertia terms are neglected. The transient thermal problem is dominate...
| Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2007 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repository: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/8505 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/8505 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2007.04.006 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Plate tectonics Finite element method Tectonic plates Subduction Numerical modelling EXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) Tectònica de plaques Elements finits, Mètode dels Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Anàlisi numèrica::Mètodes en elements finits Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia |
| Summary: | The numerical modelling of plate subduction requires solving a coupled thermo-mechanical highly-nonlinear transient problem. The mechanical description of the phenomenon results in a multiphase quasi-static Stokes flow, where the inertia terms are neglected. The transient thermal problem is dominated by the advection term. Here, the representation and evolution of the different phases are described using level sets. The phase tracking is carried out transporting the level set along with the material, using a pure advective model. The gradient discontinuities induced by the viscosity jump across the interface are resolved numerically by enriching the solution using a partition of unity method in a eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) context. These numerical tools are used to simulate plate subduction with different parameters and to derive useful correlations between relevant geophysical factors. |
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