2008 CIG Workshop on Mathematical and Computational Issues in the Solid Earth Geosciences

CIG sponsored a workshop on Sept. 15-17, 2008, in Santa Fe, NM, to bring together solid-earth geoscientists, mathematicians, and computational and computer scientists to focus on specific issues arising from a range of solid-Earth dynamics problems that have proven both difficult and critical for progress in studying and modeling the dynamics of the planet. These problems form the core activities for CIG and provide new challenges and opportunities in multiscale/multiphysics modeling and inference.

Program and Presentations

• Agenda, which includes links to the presentations and posters (those received as of 9/30/08)

Workshop Goals

This workshop focused on three related “grand challenge problems” and their attendant mathematical/computational issues:

1. Mantle Convection and Lithospheric Deformation (large scale solid deformation with complex rheologies)
2. Magma Dynamics (multi-physics problems: Coupled fluid/solid flow in strongly deformable, reactive media)
3. Crustal Dynamics and the Earthquake Cycle (Multiscale brittle mechanics and fault evolution)

The geophysical models at the heart of this workshop provided a common set of mathematical and computational problems that are essential for studying coupled natural systems. These include linear and nonlinear solvers and preconditioners for coupled problems, multi-scale methods for systems with space-time localization, multi-scale material modeling, and data-assimilation and inversion for integrating observations and dynamics.

These problems complement, but have significant differences from other application areas such as subsurface flow or climate modeling. Thus a primary goal of this workshop was to foster new collaborations between solid Earth scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, and computational scientists that can make significant progress on these critical problems. The meeting format was two and a half days of talks and discussion that closely connected the Earth science applications and mathematical/computational problems and methods. In addition, the workshop discussed critical issues in developing, disseminating and supporting advanced, collaborative modeling software for the general community, which is central to the CIG mission.

Topics and Speakers

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

• Brad Aagaard, USGS, Menlo Park
• Wolfgang Bangerth, Texas A&M
• Omar Ghattas, U Texas at Austin
• Michael Gurnis, Caltech
• Louise Kellogg, UC Davis
• David Keyes, Columbia
• Laurent Montesi, U of Maryland
• Marc Spiegelman (Chair), Columbia

Support and Expenses

Partial travel support will be available to attendees, which will be issued as a reimbursement after the meeting concludes. Air travel must be via a U.S.-based carrier in order to receive reimbursement.

Attendees must make and pay for their own travel arrangements. This includes reserving and paying for a hotel room. CIG has negotiated a discount for a certain number of hotel rooms (described below). However, the discount is only available on a first-come, first-served basis.