TerraFERMA: The Transparent Finite Element Rapid Model Assembler for multiphysics problems in Earth sciences

Abstract

We introduce and describe a new software infrastructure TerraFERMA, the Transparent Finite Element Rapid Model Assembler, for the rapid and reproducible description and solution of coupled multiphysics problems. The design of TerraFERMA is driven by two computational needs in Earth sciences. The first is the need for increased flexibility in both problem description and solution strategies for coupled problems where small changes in model assumptions can lead to dramatic changes in physical behavior. The second is the need for software and models that are more transparent so that results can be verified, reproduced, and modified in a manner such that the best ideas in computation and Earth science can be more easily shared and reused. TerraFERMA leverages three advanced open‐source libraries for scientific computation that provide high‐level problem description (FEniCS), composable solvers for coupled multiphysics problems (PETSc), and an options handling system (SPuD) that allows the hierarchical management of all model options. TerraFERMA integrates these libraries into an interface that organizes the scientific and computational choices required in a model into a single options file from which a custom compiled application is generated and run. Because all models share the same infrastructure, models become more reusable and reproducible, while still permitting the individual researcher considerable latitude in model construction. TerraFERMA solves partial differential equations using the finite element method. It is particularly well suited for nonlinear problems with complex coupling between components. TerraFERMA is open‐source and available at http://terraferma.github.io, which includes links to documentation and example input files.

A Poroelastic Model of Serpentinization: Exploring the Interplay Between Rheology, Surface Energy, Reaction, and Fluid Flow

“…Equations with the initial and boundary conditions described above, together with parameters appropriate for seafloor serpentinization were solved using the open‐source software TerraFERMA (Wilson et al, ) which provides a flexible framework for constructing reproducible Finite Element Models from advanced computational libraries (FEniCS; Alnaes et al, , and PETSc; Balay et al, ). Appendix provides details of the numerical methods.…”

Fluid migration in the mantle wedge: Influence of mineral grain size and mantle compaction

“…In all models, the reference parameter values are fixed (see values in the supporting information). The discretized problem is solved with the software TerraFERMA [ Wilson et al , , ; Spiegelman et al , ].…”

Shingle 2.0: generalising self-consistent and automated domain discretisation for multi-scale geophysical models

“…There exist standards already that tackle these challenges well. It is rather a new problem descriptor, like those for Fluidity (Piggott et al, 2008) and the TerraFERMA model of Wilson et al (2017), for fully describing the mesh generation problem specifically for geophysical model domains, following the approach that this requires solving the same types of challenges involved in numerical model set-up, which makes significant progress in meeting the tenets of Table 1.…”

“…The BRML schema builds on the general schema language for simulation models prepared in Ham et al (2009), to give an option-complete language for the mesh generation problem. This is exactly the type of purpose Spud is intended for, and other current models in development are adopting this approach to formally describe model constraint spaces, for example, the new TerraFERMA model of Wilson et al (2017).…”