Application of supercomputers to 3-D mantle convection

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6059641

Baumgardner, J R

Current generation vector machines are providing for the first time the computing power needed to treat planetary mantle convection in a fully three-dimensional fashion. A numerical technique known as multigrid has been implemented in spherical geometry using a hierarchy of meshes constructed from the regular icosahedron to yield a highly efficient three-dimensional compressible Eulerian finite element hydrodynamics formulation. The paper describes the numerical method and presents convection solutions for the mantles of both the earth and the Moon. In the case of the Earth, the convection pattern is characterized by upwelling in narrow circular plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary and by downwelling in sheets or slabs derived from the cold upper boundary layer. The preferred number of plumes appears to be on the order of six or seven. For the Moon, the numerical results indicate that development of a predominately L = 2 pattern in later lunar history is a plausible explanation for the present large second-degree non-hydrostatic component in the lunar figure.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6059641
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-86-6; CONF-8405385-1; ON: DE86006004
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CONVECTION
EARTH MANTLE
ENERGY TRANSFER
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRODYNAMICS
MASS TRANSFER
MECHANICS
MESH GENERATION
MOON
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLUMES
PROGRAMMING
SATELLITES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
USES
VECTOR PROCESSING