Abstract DGP2026-112

Planetary Geodynamic Model Collection of Open Source Software, Teaching Materials and Benchmarks

Iris Boer (1), Henimanalina Raveloarison (1), Theresa Büttner (1), Lena Noack (1)

(1) Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Geological Sciences, Berlin, Germany

To investigate the interior structure, dynamics and evolution of terrestrial planets, numerical models have become an essential tool for many researchers. Modelers often struggle with outreach and accessibility, especially when aimed towards students and scientists in an interdisciplinary field. We are therefore constructing a collection of several codes of varying complexity in planetary geodynamics developed in our work group.

Firstly, we present an updated Version of the code CHIC, which is a collection of applications, spanning 1D parameterized interior structure and thermal-evolution models to 2D (for some applications up to 3D) thermo-chemical convection models. The code will now be published under an open-source software license. The release will include an updated documentation of the code.

Furthermore, we have released multiple codes, including:

- ROWS, a 1D interior structure model for rocky and ocean worlds,

- PyCCon, a simplified 2D thermal convection model with temperature- and pressure-dependent viscosity.

We will be releasing multiple shorter Python codes, mainly as teaching material, including models of:

- 1D thermal evolution based on interior structure and tectonic regime.

- Tidal heat dissipation, for variable planetary systems.

All codes are accompanied by tutorials on installation, application, and evaluation. Our aim is to provide a framework for publishing planetary interior modeling software that serves students, teachers, and researchers alike. We have established the FUB Planetary Geodynamics GitHub repository, which hosts these outreach codes as well as other models developed in our group, such as ExoMDN (P. Baumeister) and 1D-PIE (J. M. Schmidt).

Finally, we provide educational examples, common benchmarks, and a new benchmark in development for reconstructing convection patterns from combined grain flow and fluid flow experiments.