Three dimensional geophysical modeling : from physics to numerical simulation

The main objective of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive numerical tool for the three-dimensional simulation of sedimentary basins. We have used a volume averaging technique to obtain a couple of basin-scale mathematical models. We have used some innovative numerical techniques to deal with such models. A multi-fluid implicit tracking technique is developed and integrated with a Stokes solver that is robust with respect to the variations of the coefficients. The movement of the basin boundaries and the evolution of the faults are treated with an Ale and a Finite Volume scheme respectively. Also some mesh refinement methods are used to guarantee a sufficient accuracy. The numerical experiments show a good qualitative agreement with the measured geometry of the sedimentary layers. (Pubblicata - vedi http://hdl.handle.net/2434/148441)