The Effect of Different Geometries on the Thermal Mantle Convection

M. Herein, and A. Galsa
Department of Geophysics
Eötvös University
Budapest, Hungary
Published in 2011

For the numerical solving of the equations, Comsol has been applied. Simulations have been modeled in 2D Cartesian, in cylindrical coordinate system and in a “mantle-like” cylindrical-shell. Mantle dynamics is controlled by the Rayleigh number (Ra), which is the ratio of the buoyancy and viscous force.

The effect of Ra has been studied in the range of 1e4 to 1e7. The significance of the cylindrical geometry is that at a given rms velocity the convection can carry the most heat to the surface. In cylindrical geometry the results were close to the results of the 3D dimensional case. In cylindrical-shell domain it has been shown an impressive picture of the chaotic structure of the mantle convection.