Applied Mathematics seminar | Sander Rhebergen, Computational tools for coupled magma/mantle dynamics

Very little is known about the interior structure of the earth and the processes going on. To understand more about these processes, geo-scientists have developed many models describing for example tectonic plate movement and magma flow through the mantle matrix. The two-phase equations describing coupled magma/mantle dynamics describe large scale features of tectonics plates down to small scale features of melt localization. Computational challenges arise due to this multiscale behaviour: large domains, high resolution grids and many time steps are required to model magma/mantle dynamics.

 

In the first part of my talk I will discuss the development of computational tools I am working on for the two-phase flow equations. I will discuss a new preconditioner I have developed and show 3D numerical simulations that I will compare to observations from laboratory experiments.

 

In the second part of my talk I will discuss my future research plans. These range from new Discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods on time dependent domains to solvers and software.