Case study: Visualization and analysis of high Rayleigh number - 3D convection in the Earth's mantle

Data sets from large-scale simulations (up to 501/sup 3/ grid points) of mantle convection are analyzed with volume rendering of the temperature field and a new critical point analysis of the velocity field. As the Rayleigh number Ra is increased the thermal field develops increasingly thin plume-like structures along which heat is convected. These eventually break down and become turbulent. Visualization methods are used to distinguish between various models of heat conductivity and to develop an intuitive understanding of the structure of the flow.