The Dynamics of Plate Tectonics and Mantle Flow: From Local to Global Scales

Abstract

Improving Earth Models The geophysical processes responsible for shaping the planet's surface and interior need largescale simulations, but to achieve high resolution at these scales is costly and tends to focus on gradual processes such as plate tectonics. By using large parallel supercomputers, Stadler et al. (p. 1033 ; see the Perspective by Becker ; see the cover) have improved on a commonly used method—adaptive mesh refinement—to increase the resolution of global geodynamic models to the scale of a single kilometer and been able to reveal unexpected insights into localized processes, such as subduction zone mechanics, thermal anomalies in the lower mantle, and the speed of movement of oceanic plates.