| Authors | S. Goyette, M. Takatsuka, S. Clark, D. R. Müller, P. Rey and D. Stegman |
| Title | Increasing the Usability and Accessibility of Geodynamic Modelling Tools to the Geoscience Community: UnderworldGUI |
| Afilliation | |
| Status | Published |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2007 |
| Journal | Visual Geosciences |
| Volume | 13 |
| Number | 1 |
| Pagination | 25-36 |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Abstract | Geoscientists are faced with a number of complexities that represent obstacles to the development of realistic simulation of deep earth processes. Realistic 4D thermo-mechanical simulation using software packages like Underworld and Gale, when combined appropriately with geoscientific expertise, can lead to novel insights into the deformation of geological structures at a wide range of time and spatial scales. The challenge for end-user geoscientists lies in applying their knowledge within the framework of the software's input specification, including initial, internal, and boundary conditions and output visualization parameters. We have built a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to remove many of the difficulties related to editing the Extensible Markup Language (XML) encoded input files of Underworld/Gale geomodels and therefore, to greatly broaden the user base of these software packages. By helping Underworld/Gale to meet a large audience, we provide a tool to the geoscience community that helps to move from untested conceptual models to physically valid, properly scaled modelling. Furthermore, the UnderworldGUI offers a mechanism for storing and retrieving experimental models in a centralised database, thus providing the geoscience community with a means to share the outcomes of its experimental research. Further details of the UnderworldGUI are available at the web site http://www.wiki.vislab.usyd.edu.au/moinwiki/UnderworldGUI. |
| Citation Key | Simula.SC.92 |