finite element method in comsol multiphysics software  (COMSOL Inc)

Journal: Science Advances

Article Title: A shallow mantle source for the Chang’e 5 lavas reveals how top-down heating prolonged lunar magmatism

doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr1486

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A , C , and E ) The geometries and boundary conditions of COMSOL Multiphysics finite element thermal models for schematic cross sections of the crust and upper mantle in the region of the CE5 landing site. Compositions and thermal conductivities used for all models are shown in (A) and discussed in Materials and Methods. The upper KREEP layer represents Imbrium ejecta to the east of the CE5 landing site and begins generating heat at 3.9 Ga in all models. The lower KREEP layer has the composition of high-K KREEP . See Materials and Methods for more details on initial model conditions. ( B , D , and F ) Model results showing the temperature profiles of the crust and upper mantle at 2 Ga for each model. As these models are purely conductive and absolute temperatures are not necessarily applicable to the mantle, but rather these models show the relative heating effects of a subcrustal KREEP layer of either 5 km (D) or 10 km (F) thickness.

Article Snippet: To further investigate the thermal effects of a subcrustal KREEP-layer on a local scale and account for the regional geology of northern Oceanus Procellarum, we conducted finite element thermal evolution modeling using COMSOL Multiphysics (see Materials and Methods).

Techniques: