Orange Alert

Earth Scientists Push Boundaries of 3D Modeling

Posted on: June 8, 2016

Assistant Professor Robert Moucha uses numeric modeling to study mantle convection 

Earth scientists in the College of Arts and Sciences are changing the way they study the geological record, thanks to new advances in three-dimensional modeling.

Robert Moucha, assistant professor of geophysics, and Gregory Ruetenik, a Ph.D. student in Earth sciences, have collaborated with Gregory Hoke, associate professor of Earth sciences, on a unique numerical modeling study that simulates changing terrain over millions of years. Their study shows that moderate changes in dynamic topography produce an erosional response in the form of increased sediment flux to continental margins (i.e., the rate of sediments supplied to margins by streams and rivers). Read more...