Articles | Volume 19, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8877-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8877-2026
Development and technical paper
 | 
21 Sep 2026
Development and technical paper |  | 21 Sep 2026

Lagrangian tracking methods applied to free surface boundaries in numerical geodynamic models

Timothy S. Gray, Paul J. Tackley, and Taras V. Gerya

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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
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Cited articles

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Braun, J., Thieulot, C., Fullsack, P., DeKool, M., Beaumont, C., and Huismans, R.: DOUAR: A new three-dimensional creeping flow numerical model for the solution of geological problems, Phys. Earth Planet. In., 171, 76–91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2008.05.003, 2008. a
Burov, E. and Toussaint, G.: Surface processes and tectonics: Forcing of continental subduction and deep processes, Global Planet. Change, 58, 141–164, 2007. a
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This study presents a new way to model how Earth’s surface changes over time as the deep interior moves. The method tracks the surface directly, allowing clearer and more detailed results worldwide while using less computing power. It improves accuracy compared to existing approaches and makes it easier to connect deep Earth processes with oceans, climate, landscapes, and life through time.
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