Project overview¶
Introduction to geodynamic modelling
David Whipp
25-29 May 2020
Course project¶
What is the idea?¶
We’d like to see you take your new skills as geodynamic modellers and apply them to learning something about a problem of your choosing.
Example problems could include:
Modifying our DOUAR models of rifting of a continent
Using DOUAR to model continent-continent collision
Writing a 2D finite-difference solution to the heat advection-diffusion equation
Modelling sinking of tectonic plates in the mantle using DOUAR
What do you need to do?¶
For the project you should design a model, run 1-3 numerical experiments with your model, and write a short paper describing the model and your results in the format of a scientic journal article.
The paper¶
Format¶
The paper should be formatted as follows:
12 pt Times New Roman (or similar) font
Single spacing between lines
Text and figures should not exceed 8 pages
References and the appendix can be on additional pages as needed
The paper should include the sections described on the following slides
Abstract¶
A one-paragraph summary of the exercise and your results
Introduction¶
Clearly describe the problem you are addressing (or hypothesis being tested) and it’s significance
Provide background information on the topic (e.g., from lecture notes and other sources)
Provide 1 short paragraph about how your models relate to understanding your stated problem
2-4 paragraphs in length
Methods¶
Clearly state the equations being solved and the different methods used in solving the equations
List the main variables or free parameters in the equations
This should be more than 1 paragraph in length
Results¶
This part describes the results from your experiments
Include selected figures from the output of your model with figure captions describing the results
You should have at least 1 paragraph of text that describes each figure
Note: The results section should only contain observations that resulted from your experiment. No interpretations of the results should be included in this section.
Discussion¶
This part of the report discusses your results. It can have multiple subsections if you desire. Any interpretation you make from your plots/calculations should be presented here.
An example discussion section topics could include:
What are the main geological implications of your results?
Was there any result that was unexpected or counterintuitive?
What are the limitations of the modeling approach and how do they affect the results?
Any other topics you feel should be discussed about the implications of the model results
Conclusions/summary¶
This should summarize the main findings of your research paper
1-2 paragraphs in length
References¶
Include a list of cited references from your paper
This should include at least 6 primary sources
Appendices¶
Include a link to a webpage containing the code you have used to generate your results (if relevant)
If you have made any significant changes to the code, describe them here
Due date and credit points¶
Project due date¶
The final project should be submitted via email to Dave by the end of the day on 30.8.2020
Completion of the course project will provide an additional 2 CP