3-D treatment of convective flow in the earth's mantle

A three-dimensional finite-element method is used to investigate thermal convection in the earth's mantle. The equations of motion are solved implicitly by means of a fast multigrid technique. The computational mesh for the spherical problem is derived from the regular icosahedron. The calculation described use a mesh with 43,554 nodes and 81,920 elements and were run on a Cray X. The earth's mantle is modeled as a thick spherical shell with isothermal, free-slip boundaries. The infinite Prandtl number problem is formulated in terms of pressure, density, absolute temperature, and velocity and assumes an isotropic Newtonian rheology. Solutions are obtained for Rayleigh numbers up to approximately 10/sup 6/ for a variety of modes of heating. Cases initialized with a temperature distribution with warmer temperatures beneath speading ridges and cooler temperatures beneath present subduction zones yield whole-mantle convection solutions with surface velocities that correlate well with currently observed plate velocities. 8 references, 6 figures

MADE-in : a new aerosol microphysics submodel for global simulation of insoluble particles and their mixing state

Black carbon (BC) and mineral dust are among the most abundant insoluble aerosol components in the atmosphere. When released, most BC and dust particles are externally mixed with other aerosol species. Through coagulation with particles containing soluble material and condensation of gases, the externally mixed particles may obtain a liquid coating and be transferred into an internal mixture. The mixing state of BC and dust aerosol particles influences their radiative and hygroscopic properties, as well as their ability of forming ice crystals. We introduce the new aerosol microphysics submodel MADE-in, implemented within the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry global model (EMAC). MADE-in is able to track mass and number concentrations of BC and dust particles in their different mixing states, as well as particles free of BC and dust. MADE-in describes these three classes of particles through a superposition of seven log-normally distributed modes, and predicts the evolution of their size distribution and chemical composition. Six out of the seven modes are mutually interacting, allowing for the transfer of mass and number among them. Separate modes for the different mixing states of BC and dust particles in EMAC/MADEin allow for explicit simulations of the relevant aging processes, i.e. condensation, coagulation and cloud processing. EMAC/MADE-in has been evaluated with surface and airborne measurements and mostly performs well both in the planetary boundary layer and in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere

Application of supercomputers to 3-D mantle convection

Current generation vector machines are providing for the first time the computing power needed to treat planetary mantle convection in a fully three-dimensional fashion. A numerical technique known as multigrid has been implemented in spherical geometry using a hierarchy of meshes constructed from the regular icosahedron to yield a highly efficient three-dimensional compressible Eulerian finite element hydrodynamics formulation. The paper describes the numerical method and presents convection solutions for the mantles of both the earth and the Moon. In the case of the Earth, the convection pattern is characterized by upwelling in narrow circular plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary and by downwelling in sheets or slabs derived from the cold upper boundary layer. The preferred number of plumes appears to be on the order of six or seven. For the Moon, the numerical results indicate that development of a predominately L = 2 pattern in later lunar history is a plausible explanation for the present large second-degree non-hydrostatic component in the lunar figure

Polar wandering in mantle convection models

cited By 44International audienceWe calculate polar motion in models of 3-D spherical mantle convection at Rayleigh numbers up to 108 which include internal heating, radial viscosity variations, and an endothermic phase change. Isoviscous models yield rapid polar motion of order 3°/Myr, but a factor of 30 increase in viscosity with depth reduces the rate of polar motion to about 0.5°/Myr due to stabilization of the large-scale pattern of convection. Avalanching due to an endothermic phase change causes pulsating inertial interchange polar excursions of order 80-110° and of duration 20-70 Myr. A layered viscosity model with an endothermic phase change yields only one inertial interchange event in 600 million years. These models show that the slow observed rate of post-Paleozoic true polar wander is not incompatible with higher rates inferred for earlier times. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union

Mantle dynamics - A case study

Solid state convection in the rocky mantles is a key to understanding the thermochemical evolution and tectonics of terrestrial planets and moons. It is driven by internal heat and can be described by a system of coupled partial differential equations. There are no analytic solutions for realistic configurations and numerical models are an indispensable tool for researching mantle convection. After a brief general introduction, we introduce the basic equations that govern mantle convection and discuss some common approximations. The following case study is a contribution towards a self-consistent thermochemical evolution model of the Earth. A crude approximation for crustal differentiation is coupled to numerical models of global mantle convection, focussing on geometrical effects and the influence of rheology on stirring. We review Earth-specific geochemical and geophysical constraints, proposals for their reconciliation, and discuss the implications of our models for scenarios of the Earth’s evolution. Specific aspects of this study include the use of passive Lagrangian tracers, highly variable viscosity in 3-d spherical geometry, phase boundaries in the mantle and a parameterised model of the core as boundary condition at the bottom of the mantle

In-situ observations of an Antarctic polar stratospheric cloud: Similarities with Arctic observations

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, pp. 1913-1916, July 15, 1996

MADE-in: a new aerosol microphysics submodel for global simulation of insoluble particles and their mixing state

Black carbon (BC) and mineral dust are among the most abundant insoluble aerosol components in the atmosphere. When released, most BC and dust particles are externally mixed with other aerosol species. Through coagulation with particles containing soluble material and condensation of gases, the externally mixed particles may obtain a liquid coating and be transferred into an internal mixture. The mixing state of BC and dust aerosol particles influences their radiative and hygroscopic properties, as well as their ability of forming ice crystals. We introduce the new aerosol microphysics submodel MADE-in, implemented within the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry global model (EMAC). MADE-in is able to track mass and number concentrations of BC and dust particles in their different mixing states, as well as particles free of BC and dust. MADE-in describes these three classes of particles through a superposition of seven log-normally distributed modes, and predicts the evolution of their size distribution and chemical composition. Six out of the seven modes are mutually interacting, allowing for the transfer of mass and number among them. Separate modes for the different mixing states of BC and dust particles in EMAC/MADE-in allow for explicit simulations of the relevant aging processes, i.e. condensation, coagulation and cloud processing. EMAC/MADE-in has been evaluated with surface and airborne measurements and mostly performs well both in the planetary boundary layer and in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere

Observations of large reductions in NO/NOy ratio near the mid-latitude tropopause and the role of heterogeneous chemistry

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, No. 22, pp. 3223-3226, November 1, 1996.During the 1993 NASA Stratospheric Photochemistry, Aerosols and Dynamics Expedition (SPADE), anomalously low nitric oxide (NO) was found in a distinct sunlit layer located above the mid-latitude tropopause..

Evaluating the role of NAT, NAD, and liquid H2SO4/H2O/HNO3 solutions in Antarctic polar stratospheric cloud aerosol: Observations and implications

Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, No. D11 pp. 13,255-13,282.Airborne measurements of total reactive nitrogen (NOy) and polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) aerosol particles were made in the Antarctic (68 degrees S) as part of the NASA Airborne Southern Hemisphere Ozone Experiment/Measurements for Assessing the Effects of the Stratospheric Aircraft (ASHOE/MAESA) campaign in late July 1994..