Modeling Complex Geodynamic 
Systems Using Geodynamic World Builder

Setting up initial conditions for geodynamic systems in computational modeling codes vary in difficulty. Models which are geometrically very simple are easy to make with the help of a few if and else statements in a code or perhaps through a function parser. Similarly, very realistic present day instantaneous models using data from, for example, seismic tomography can also be straight forward to construct once a relationship between the seismic anomaly and temperature has been developed. However, a problem arises when constructing a realistic evolutionary model starting in the geologic past. Using a function parser approach for this kind of problem results in extremely long and complicated sets of equation which are not easy to construct and very hard to modify. The Geodynamic World Builder (GWB) is designed to address these problems by allowing users to construct complex models that are easily modified and shared, thereby promoting reproducibility and open science.

GWB is an open source code library intended to help users set up initial conditions in computational geodynamic models in both Cartesian and spherical geometries. Instead of using a function parser approach, the GWB abstracts geodynamic/tectonic features allowing users to define their shapes and properties, and place them into the model world. This is done through an easy to read and write JSON-style input file (see figure). ...   [full article]

See also: 

geodynamicworldbuilder.github.io.

Fraters, M., Thieulot, C., van den Berg, A., and Spakman, W.: The Geodynamic World Builder: a solution for complex initial conditions in numerical modelling, Solid Earth Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-24, accepted 2019.. 

Contributed by Menno Fraters