Required input file parameters#

Note

Input files for goSPL are based on YAML syntax. The YAML structure is shown through indentation (one or more spaces) and sequence items are denoted by a dash.

Initial mesh definition and simulation declaration#

Declaration example:

name: Description of your simulation run

domain:
    npdata: ['input/mesh','v','c','z']
    flowdir: 5
    bc:'0101'
    fast: False
    seadepo: True
    nperodep: 'input/erodep20Ma'
    npstrata: 'input/sed20Ma'
    advect: 'iioe2'

The following parameters are required:

  1. the initial spherical or 2D surface mesh npdata (.npz file). This file contains the following keys: v the mesh vertices coordinates, z the vertice elevations, c the mesh cells.

  2. the flow direction method to be used flowdir that takes an integer value between 1 (for SFD) and 6 (for MFD)

In addition the following optional parameters could be set:

  1. boundary conditions (bc) when not running a global model. Each integer corresponds to an edge defined in the following order: south, east, north, and west. The integer is set to either 0 for open or to 1 for fixed boundaries.

  2. the fast key allows you to run a model without applying any surface processes on top. This is used to check your input files prior to run your simulation with all options. By default it is set to False.

  3. seadepo performing marine deposition or not. By default it is set to False.

  4. to start a simulation using a previous erosion/deposition map use the nperodep key and specify a file (.npz format with the erosion deposition defined with the key ed) containing for each vertex of the mesh the cumulative erosion deposition values in metres.

  5. to start a simulation using an initial stratigraphic layer use the npstrata key (.npz file) and specify a file containing for each vertex of the mesh the stratigraphic layer thickness strataH, the elevation at time of deposition strataZ, and the porosities of the sediment phiS.

  6. advect define the advection scheme used when applying horizontal displacements. Choices are upwind, iioe1, iioe2 and interp (go to the technical information in the documentation for more information).

Warning

It is worth noting that all the input files require to run a goSPL simulation must be defined as numpy zip array (.npz). This allows to directly and efficiently load the dataset during initialisation. This is specially efficient when running large models.

Note

It is also possible to have only one .npz file containing the required keys. For example you could set an input file containing the following keys: v the mesh vertices coordinates, z the vertice elevations, c the mesh cells, and ed the erosion deposition node values and call it for both the npdata and nperodep parameters.

Setting model temporal evolution#

Declaration example:

time:
    start: -20000000.
    end: 0.
    dt: 250000.
    tout: 1000000.
    rstep: 25
    strat: 500000.

time is also a required component of every input file. The following parameters are needed:

  1. start is the model start time in years,

  2. end is the model end time in years,

  3. dt is the model internal time step (the approach in goSPL uses an implicit time step).

  4. tout is the output interval used to create model outputs.

The following parameters are optional:

  1. to restart a simulation use the rstep key and specify the time step number.

  2. strat is the stratigraphic timestep interval used to update the stratigraphic record.

Important

In cases where the specify dt and strat parameters are greater than tout, they will automatically be rescaled to match with the output interval. When turned-on the stratal records will be output at the same time as the output ones, but the file will potentially contain multiple stratigraphic layers per output if tout is a multiple of strat.

Output folder definition#

Declaration example:

output:
    dir: 'forward'
    makedir: False

Finally, you will need to specify the output folder, with 2 possible parameters:

  1. dir gives the output directory name.

The following parameter is optional:

  1. the option makedir gives the ability to delete any existing output folder with the same name (if set to False - default value) or to create a new folder with the given dir name plus a number at the end (e.g. outputDir_XX if set to True with XX the run number). It allows you to avoid overwriting on top of previous runs.