[CIG-ALL] CIG News - September 2008

[Sue Kientz]

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                          CIG News:  September 2008
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Also available at
http://geodynamics.org/cig/proposalsndocs/newsdocs/newsletter-sept08

Enhanced Seismology Web Portal Released

     * Portal Runs SPECFEM3D_GLOBE 4.0.3 and Mineos. The SPECFEM3D  
Globe web portal has been updated and renamed the CIG Seismology Web  
Portal, and features the latest version of SPECFEM3D Globe, version  
4.0.3 and the Mineos 1D code. The portal enables users to request  
synthetic seismograms for any given earthquake, selecting from an  
assortment of 3D and 1D Earth models, or users may upload custom CMT  
data. Simulations are performed on the TACC Lonestar TeraGrid  
cluster. Once a simulation is complete, the user is notified to  
return to the portal to download the resulting seismograms in ASCII  
and SAC format. To get started using the portal, visit https:// 
crust.geodynamics.org/portals/seismo/

CIG Software Releases

     * Gale 1.3 - Gale is a 2D/3D code that solves problems related  
to orogenesis, rifting, and subduction with coupling to surface  
erosion models. This latest release has more benchmarks, a thoroughly  
tested implementation of friction, and a number of robustness and  
memory fixes. Gale is a joint effort between CIG, Victorian  
Partnership for Advanced Computing (VPAC), and Monash University. See  
http://geodynamics.org/cig/software/packages/long/gale/ for binaries,  
source code, and manual.

     * PyLith 1.3 - PyLith is a finite element code for the solution  
of visco-elastic/plastic deformation that was designed for  
lithospheric modeling problems. This release allows the solution of  
both quasi-static and dynamic problems in one, two, or three  
dimensions. The code runs in either serial or parallel mode, and the  
design allows for relatively easy scripting using the Python  
programming language. Material properties and parameters for boundary  
and fault conditions are specified using a spatial database, which  
permits easy prescription of complex spatial variations of properties  
and parameters. Simulation parameters are generally specified through  
the use of simple ASCII files or the command line. See http:// 
geodynamics.org/cig/software/packages/short/pylith/
for source code, binaries, and manual.

Software Bug Fixes

     * CitcomS 3.0.3 - CitcomS is a finite element code designed to  
solve thermal convection problems relevant to Earth's mantle. This  
release fixes five bugs that are related to regional coordinate  
refinement, geoid, full-regional coupling, and the geoid post- 
processing script. See  http://geodynamics.org/cig/software/packages/ 
mc/citcoms/ for source code and manual. You can also run this latest  
version of CitcomS on the TeraGrid; see http://geodynamics.org/cig/ 
software/csa/

     * SPECFEM3D_GLOBE 4.0.3 - SPECFEM3D_GLOBE simulates global and  
regional (continental-scale) seismic wave propagation. The latest  
version fixes a bug in attenuation. See http://geodynamics.org/cig/ 
software/packages/seismo/specfem3d-globe/
for source code and manual.

Software Additions to CIG Website

     * Geodynamics AMR Suite (deal.II) - The Geodynamics AMR Suite  
uses deal.II, a C++ program library targeted at the computational  
solution of partial differential equations using adaptive finite  
elements. Its state-of-the-art programming techniques offer a modern  
interface to the complex data structures and algorithms required. CIG  
has sponsored Wolfgang Bangerth (Texas A&M) to produce tutorials that  
use deal.II in various implementations. See http://geodynamics.org/ 
cig/software/packages/cs/dealii/ for online documentation that is  
updated automatically on the 3rd of each month.

Upcoming Meetings

     *  CIG Workshop on Mathematical and Computational Issues in the  
Solid Earth Geosciences, Sept. 15-17, 2008, Santa Fe, NM. This CIG  
workshop will bring together solid-earth geoscientists,  
mathematicians, 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  
multi-scale/multiphysics modeling and inference. See http:// 
geodynamics.org/cig/workinggroups/cs/workshops/geomath08  for further  
information and draft agenda.

Presentations from SSC Meeting and Recent Workshops Online

     * The CIG Science Steering Committee (SSC) met on May 29-30,  
2008, to discuss CIG's progress, review short- and long-term goals in  
each topic area, and look towards the future funding of CIG-2. View  
the PDF and PPT presentations given at the meeting at http:// 
geodynamics.org/cig/proposalsndocs/documents/ssc-may08

     * 2008 Workshop on Numerical Modeling of Crustal Deformation and  
Earthquake Faulting (June 23-27, 2008, Colorado School of Mines,  
Golden, CO). The focus of this gathering was on computational models  
addressing the seismic cycle across single and multiple events. See  
the posters and presentations from the workshop at http:// 
geodynamics.org/cig/workinggroups/short/workshops/cfem-08

     * Workshop for Advancing Numerical Modeling of Mantle Convection  
and Lithospheric Dynamics (July 9-11, 2008, UC Davis). This workshop  
brought together both the mantle convection and lithospheric dynamics  
communities. All presentations given at the workshop are available at  
http://geodynamics.org/cig/workinggroups/mc/workshops/litho2008/ 
presentations

CIG Five-Year Strategic Plan Submitted to NSF

     * This year's Strategic Plan (SP) was developed by the SSC with  
assistance provided by the CIG staff. Each committee member polled  
different subdisciplines of the CIG communities and submitted written  
descriptions that included accomplishments and goals organized over  
the short-, intermediate-, and long-terms. At the annual SSC meeting  
held at CIG in Pasadena on May 29-30, the committee reviewed our  
accomplishments and had extensive discussions on our goals while  
attempting to identify common themes in different disciplines. The  
finalized SP was submitted to NSF on July 9, 2008. Download the PDF  
at http://geodynamics.org/cig/proposalsndocs/documents/archives/ 
CIG_SP_2008.pdf

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Who to contact

CIG Administration, contracts, travel, etc.:
Ariel Shoresh, (626) 395-1699
ariel at geodynamics.org

Equation solvers (PETSc) and PyLith development:
Matt Knepley, knepley at mcs.anl.gov

Gale and Magma development:
Walter Landry, (626) 395-4621
walter at geodynamics.org

Benchmarking, Cigma, and visualization:
Luis Armendariz, (626) 395-1695
luis at geodynamics.org

Build procedure and computational seismology:
Leif Strand, (626) 395-1697
leif at geodynamics.org

Citcom and Mantle convection benchmarks:
Eh Tan, (626) 395-1693,
tan2 at geodynamics.org

Website and user manuals:
Sue Kientz, (626) 395-1694
sue at geodynamics.org

Geodynamo, SVN software repository, and systems administration:
Wei Mi, (626) 395-1692
wei at geodynamics.org

Software architecture and Pyre framework:
Michael Aivazis, (626) 395-1696
aivazis at caltech.edu

Administration:
Mike Gurnis, (626) 395-1698
gurnis at caltech.edu

Science Steering Committee: contact Chairman
Brad Aagaard (USGS),
baagaard at usgs.gov

Executive Committee: contact Chairman
Marc Spiegelman (Columbia),
mspieg at lamont.ldeo.columbia.edu

-- 
Sue Kientz

Technical Writer/Web Manager
Computational Infrastructure of Geodynamics (CIG)
     http://www.geodynamics.org/
sue at geodynamics.org
ofc: (626) 395-1694
     ~Metaphors Be With You~




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