Exciting news! We're transitioning to the Statewide California Earthquake Center. Our new website is under construction, but we'll continue using this website for SCEC business in the meantime. We're also archiving the Southern Center site to preserve its rich history. A new and improved platform is coming soon!
< Back to Announcement List

GSA'08 - Topical Session T73, Discontinuum Modeling

Date: 05/01/2008

Dear Colleagues -

We would like to draw your attention to the following topical session that may be of interest to you at the upcoming 2008 Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held October 5-9 in Houston, Texas. Abstract submission deadline is June 3, 2008. More information about the meeting can be found at https://www.acsmeetings.org/.

Topical Session T73:

Advances in Discontinuum Numerical Modeling in the Study of Earth Structure and Deformation

Discontinuum numerical methods have been shown to reproduce complex material rheologies and emergent structures at a wide range of scales, e.g., from granular flow to large-scale tectonic evolution. The broad acceptance of block- and particle-based numerical methods (e.g., DEM, SPH) and related lattice based methods (e.g., LSM) has led to unique and creative applications in geomechanics, rock and slope stability, fault and earthquake mechanics, structural geology, volcanology, and many other fields. Hybrid continuum-discontinuum methods also offer efficient tools for exploring processes and properties of discontinuous materials. This session is designed to showcase the range of applications of discontinuum numerical modeling to the deformation and mechanical behavior of the Earth, and the insights gained through them. We encourage submission of papers on a diverse range of topics, including but not limited to (1) comparative numerical, lab, and/or field studies, (2) numerical quantification and physical validation of material properties and mechanical behavior, and (3) visualization of emergent structures, properties, or evolution. We hope that this session will foster discussion and exchange of new ideas and techniques, leading to further advances in this promising numerical approach.

Conveners/Advocates: Julia Morgan (Dept. of Earth Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, morganj@rice.edu, 713-348-6330), Patrick McGovern (Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, mcgovern@lpi.usra.edu, 281-486-2187), and David Sparks (Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, sparks@geo.tamu.edu)