[CIG-ALL] Reminder: CIG Pylith and Gale tutorials at Earthscope 2011

[Ariel Shoresh]

CIG TUTORIALS AT EARTHSCOPE 2011.

CIG will be conducting two Pre-Workshop Tutorials at the Earthscope
National Meeting, May 17-20, 2011. If you would like to register for the
National Meeting itself, you will need to go directly through Earthscope,
at:

http://www.earthscope.org/meetings/national_meeting_11

Hotel information can be found on the Earthscope Website.


Registration for the CIG Pre-Workshop Tutorials will be done directly
through CIG, and is separate from the Earthscope workshop. You do not need
to attend both. Please go to

http://www.geodynamics.org/cig/community/workshops/earthscope2011/index_html

for more information on the tutorial sessions, as well as the Registration
Form.


****************

Training Session for the GALE Computational Software in Tectonics and
Geophysics

Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 8:30 to 5pm.
Location: AT&T Executive Education Center, University of Texas at Austin
Room: TBA

Convener: Walter Landry, Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics.

An important component of interpreting the wealth of data available to
geologists is the use of computational methodologies to simulate tectonic
processes. In this training session, the NSF-sponsored Computational
Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG) will focus on training of new users in
the use of the tectonics modeling software Gale.

Gale is a 2D/3D parallel code that solves problems in orogenesis, rifting,
and subduction with a variety of boundary conditions, including free
surfaces and coupling to surface erosion models.  Gale is bundled with a
number of rheologies and extensive documentation, and is extensively
benchmarked.  Precompiled binaries make it easy to start using Gale on
Windows, Mac, or Linux laptops and desktops. Thorough installation notes
allow users to then install Gale on the largest supercomputers and run the
same input files.

Gale is free software, requiring no fees to acquire or run, and is
developed by CIG in conjunction with the Victorian Partnership for Advanced
Computing and Monash University.  Gale is available at
http://geodynamics.org/cig/software/packages/long/gale/

During the session, participants will be given background theory, an
overview of the code including its strengths and weaknesses for solving
geodynamic problems, and instruction on downloading and running these codes
(including running them on the NSF TeraGrid), and post-processing
(visualizing) the results.  As time permits, the workshop will also cover
how to implement new rheologies and custom surface processes in Gale.   

********************


Training in use of Crustal Deformation Modeling Software (PyLith)

Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m
Location: AT&T Executive Education Center, University of Texas at Austin
Room: TBA

Conveners: Brad Aagaard (USGS), Charles Williams (GNS Science), Matt
Knepley (UChicago)

Data from the US Array and PBO components of EarthScope allow an
extraordinary opportunity to better understand Earth structure and
dynamics. An important component of interpreting such data is the use of
computational methodologies to simulate tectonic processes. The
Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG), an NSF center, will
provide a full-day of training for new users in the use of software that
can be applied to the interpretation and modeling of EarthScope data. The
training session will be held May 17, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

The training will focus on the PyLith crustal deformation modeling software
– available at (http://www.geodynamics.org/cig/software/pylith/) while
also providing an introduction to the use of the CUBIT meshing package
(http://cubit.sandia.gov).

PyLith is open-source finite-element software for 2-D and 3-D dynamic and
quasi-static modeling of crustal deformation. The target applications span
spatial scales ranging from tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers and
temporal scales for dynamic modeling ranging from milliseconds to minutes
or temporal scales for quasi-static modeling ranging from minutes to
thousands of years. Current features include prescribed fault ruptures with
multiple sequential earthquakes and aseismic creep, spontaneous fault
ruptures with a variety of fault constitutive models, time-dependent
Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, absorbing boundary conditions,
time-dependent point forces, and gravitational body forces.  PyLith
supports infinitesimal and small strain formulations for linear elastic
rheologies, linear and generalized Maxwell viscoelastic rheologies,
power-law viscoelastic rheologies, and Drucker-Prager elastoplastic
rheologies. 

During the training session, participants will be given background theory,
an overview of the codes including their strengths and weaknesses for
solving geodynamic problems, and instruction on constructing a
finite-element mesh, running a simulation, and post-processing
(visualizing) the results.

-- 
Ariel Shoresh
Administrator, Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-2889
ariel at geodynamics.org