Model:MARSSIM
From CSDMS
MARSSIM
Introduction
History
Papers
MARSSIM Questionnaire
Contact Information
Model: | MARSSIM |
Contact person: | Alan Howard |
Institute: | University of Virginia |
City: | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Country: | USA |
Email: | ah6p@virginia.edu |
2nd person involved: | -- |
3rd person involved: | -- |
Model description
Model type: | Modular for the terrestrial and coastal domain. |
Description: | A landform evolution model operating at the drainage basin or larger scale. Recent model development has targeted planetary applications. |
Technical information
Supported platforms: | Linux, windows |
Programming language: | Fortran90 |
Model was developed started from: | 1990 and development still takes place |
To what degree will the model become available: | Source code will be available. Model can also be used as teaching tool and executable will become available as well. |
Current license type: | None |
Memory requirements: | Variable - dynamic arrays |
Typical run time: | hours to days |
Input / Output description
Input parameters: | Initial elevation file.
File specifying boundary conditions, run time, process options, and parameter values. |
Input format: | ASCII |
Output parameters: | RAW image files of elevation and shaded relief. ASCII file of elevations at specified times. ASCII files of other state variables as desired at specified times. Iteration-by-iteration summary file |
Output format: | ASCII |
Post-processing software (if needed): | yes, Photoshop to produce movies. Conversions to a variety of data formats. |
Visualization software (if needed): | yes, Surfer for topographic maps |
Process description
Processes represented by model: | Bedrock fluvial incision (shear stress or sediment flux dependency). Mass wasting (creep and threshold-limited). Bedload sediment transport & deposition in streams, fans, deltas. Impact cratering, aeolian deposition, lava flows. Flow routing with evaporation from depressions. |
Key physical parameters & equations: | Bedrock erodibility, mass wasting diffusivity, bed material grain size, flow hydrologic parameters, relative evaporation rate, cratering size distribution and rate, eolian deposition parameters, etc. |
Length scale & resolution constraints: | Variable - targeted towards drainage basin or larger scales. Spatial scale determined by input parameter and run-time specification of array dimentions. Uses rectangular grid cells. |
Time scale & resolution constraints: | Variable - Limited by computer speed. |
Numerical limitations and issues : | Runs with grid sizes greater than about 600x600 may require many days on a PC. Model assumes fluvial streams have gradients determined by steady-state transport. Depositional stratigraphy not modeled. |
Testing
Available calibration data sets: | None |
Available test data sets: | Example runs for most types of simulation scenarios |
Ideal data for testing: | None |
User groups
Currently or plans for collaborating with: | Yes, at present primarily in the planetary community. |
Documentation
Key papers of the model: | Howard, A.D., 1994, A detachment-limited model of drainage basin evolution, Water Resources Research, 30(7) 2261-85. Howard, A.D., 2007, Simulating the development of martian highland landscapes..., Geomorphology, 91, 332-363. |
Is there a manual available: | See the marssim_program.doc file for a brief tutorial |
Model website if any: | http://erode.evsc.virginia.edu |
Additional comments
Comments: | Most recent model available from ah6p@virginia.edu. |
Issues
Help
Documentation that describes MARSSIM subroutines and functions, input and output files, and literature references can be found here: media:marssim_program.pdf