An efficient partial-differential-equation-based method to compute pressure boundary conditions in regional geodynamic models

Jourdon, Anthony; May, Dave A.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1107-2022

Articles | Volume 13, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1107-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1107-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 13, issue 6

Method article

|

29 Jun 2022

Method article |

| 29 Jun 2022

An efficient partial-differential-equation-based method to compute pressure boundary conditions in regional geodynamic models

Anthony Jourdon and Dave A. May

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1107-2022-supplement

Model code and software

Firedrake Firedrake team https://www.firedrakeproject.org/download.html

FEniCS FEniCS team https://fenicsproject.org/download/

Short summary

In this study we present a method to compute a reference pressure based on density structure in which we cast the problem in terms of a partial differential equation (PDE). We show in the context of 3D models of continental rifting that using the pressure as a boundary condition within the flow problem results in non-cylindrical velocity fields, producing strain localization in the lithosphere along large-scale strike-slip shear zones and allowing the formation and evolution of triple junctions.