Workshop for Advancing Numerical Modeling of Mantle Convection and Lithospheric Dynamics at U.C. Davis on July 9-11, 2008

我们提议在2005年关于地幔对流的博尔德研讨会的成功基础上，举办一次关于地幔和岩石圈动力学的数值模拟研讨会。这次研讨会的受众将比博尔德研讨会更广泛，因为我们将把地幔对流和岩石圈动力学社区聚集在一起。我们希望讨论科学进展，以及与地幔-岩石圈系统起源和演化的定量模拟有关的重要技术和科学问题。最近在集群计算、万亿级资源以及软件支持和代码共享方面的发展为科学进步带来了重大机遇，例如将岩石圈尺度的形变模型与地幔对流计算真正结合起来的前景。然而，当前的几个科学问题仍然没有得到解决，从预测的、定量的意义上理解这些问题的动力学与计算问题密切相关，例如：我们如何在充分处理夹带的情况下，在球形几何图形中有效地对热化学对流进行数值模拟？我们如何将断层和移动的板块边界合并到球面几何学中，并研究区域现实的俯冲系统演化？我们如何准确地将应变局部化和大的粘度变化结合在一起，对子尺度过程的适当的宏观描述是什么？研讨会将于2008年7月9日至11日在加州大学戴维斯分校举行，为期三天。讲习班召集人共同努力，提出了一个多样化和激动人心的演讲者和专题小组。会议形式包括一系列主题演讲和研讨会风格的演讲，有足够的空间查看海报，以及有条理的和无条理的讨论。除了在地幔和岩石圈动力学领域推进数值模拟方法之外，该讲习班还将产生几个更广泛的影响。首先，它将用于培训研究生和研究人员在数值建模中使用的基本方法。每天下午保留一次特别会议，专门教授一些已经在使用或预计将对地幔对流和岩石圈动力学领域具有巨大潜力的最重要的数值方法的基础知识。其次，研讨会将有助于加强美国不断壮大的新的岩石圈动力学模型师群体。最后，讲习班将促进地幔动力学和岩石圈动力学建模人员之间开始合作。

We are proposing to hold a workshop on Numerical Modeling of Mantle and Lithospheric Dynamics to build on the success of the 2005 Boulder workshop on Mantle Convection. This workshop will be broader in terms of audience than the Boulder workshop in that we will bring together both the mantle convection and lithospheric dynamics communities. We wish to discuss scientific advances and, importantly, technical and scientific issues related to the quantitative modeling of the origin and evolution of the mantle-lithosphere system. Recent developments in cluster computing, tera-scale resources, and software support and code-sharing efforts of the CIG have brought about major opportunities for scientific progress, such as the prospect of truly combining lithospheric-scale deformation models with mantle convection computations. However, several current science issues remain unresolved and understanding the dynamics of these in a predictive, quantitative sense, is intimately connected to computational issues, for example: How can we efficiently model thermo-chemical convection numerically, in spherical geometries, with adequate treatment of entrainment? How can we incorporate faulted and moving plate boundaries in spherical geometry, and study regionally realistic subduction system evolution? How can we accurately incorporate strain localization and large viscosity variations, and what are the appropriate macroscopic descriptions for sub-scale processes? The workshop will be held over three days on July 9-11, 2008 at U.C. Davis. The workshop conveners have worked together to propose a diverse and stimulating group of speakers and topics. The conference format includes a range of keynote and workshop style presentations, with ample room for poster viewing and structured, as well as unstructured, discussion. This workshop will have several broader impacts beyond advancing numerical modeling methods in the mantle and lithospheric dynamics communities. First, it will serve to train graduate students and researchers in fundamental methods used in numerical modeling. One special session each afternoon is reserved for the specific purpose of teaching the fundamentals of some of the most important numerical methods already in use or anticipated to hold great potential for the mantle convection and lithospheric dynamics communities. Second, the workshop will serve to strengthen the new and growing community of lithospheric-dynamics modelers in the US. Finally, the workshop will facilitate starting collaborations between mantle dynamics and lithospheric dynamics modelers.