Louis Moresi
Encyclopedia
Louis-Noël Moresi is a Professor of Computational Mathematics & Geophysics at Monash University
. He has deeply influenced the understanding of the Geophysics community through his own research as well as providing software for the community to use.
at the University of Cambridge
. There he completed a Natural Sciences Tripos
in 1988, with final year options in Seismology, Physics of the Earth and Environmental Science, taking classes under Dan McKenzie. In his last year he received the Horn Prize for his results in his final examinations.
From 1988 to 1992, he completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford university. He focused his PhD thesis on the influence of mantle convection
on surface observables such as Topography
and Geoid
. His particular emphasis was on the role of temperature-dependent viscosity and partial melting for both Earth
and Venus
.
on 3D dynamic models of Subduction
in the North West Pacific Ocean as well as mantle convection in Earth and Venus with Slava Solomatov. After this he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Research School of Earth Sciences at ANU
until 1997. Then he moved to Perth
where he worked for CSIRO in the division of Exploration and Mining as a Senior Research Scientist. There he studied large scale continental deformation interacting with mantle convection. In 2002 he moved to Monash University
, where he is now Professor as well as the co-director of Monash Cluster Computing, a parallel computing research centre.
. This is a 2D and 3D Eulerian Finite Element
code which is designed to solve problems with extremely large variations in viscosity. Though it was originally a Cartesian serial
code, there are currently many versions, including a spherical parallel version called CitComS (see Citcom
for code's history).
During his time at CSIRO, he reworked Citcom
using the Particle-in-cell
approach and created a new program called Ellipsis
. Having lagrangian integration points meant that the scientist using the code could track history and material properties through time. This allowed complex rheologies and geometries to be modelled easily and flexibily. Though Ellipsis
only worked in 2D and in serial, it was extremely popular in the geophysics community.
Currently Moresi, in partnership with VPAC, is working on a parallel 3D version of Ellipsis called Underworld.
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. He has deeply influenced the understanding of the Geophysics community through his own research as well as providing software for the community to use.
Early career
The London-born Moresi began his scientific career at Kodak as a research assistant in 1985 where he worked with Dr John Goddard on the synthesis of stabilizers (anti-oxidants) for yellow dyes in photographic emulsions. In the same year, he began undergraduate studies at Clare College, CambridgeClare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. There he completed a Natural Sciences Tripos
Tripos
The University of Cambridge, England, divides the different kinds of honours bachelor's degree by Tripos , plural Triposes. The word has an obscure etymology, but may be traced to the three-legged stool candidates once used to sit on when taking oral examinations...
in 1988, with final year options in Seismology, Physics of the Earth and Environmental Science, taking classes under Dan McKenzie. In his last year he received the Horn Prize for his results in his final examinations.
From 1988 to 1992, he completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford university. He focused his PhD thesis on the influence of mantle convection
Mantle convection
Mantle convection is the slow creeping motion of Earth's rocky mantle caused by convection currents carrying heat from the interior of the Earth to the surface. The Earth's surface lithosphere, which rides atop the asthenosphere , is divided into a number of plates that are continuously being...
on surface observables such as Topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
and Geoid
Geoid
The geoid is that equipotential surface which would coincide exactly with the mean ocean surface of the Earth, if the oceans were in equilibrium, at rest , and extended through the continents . According to C.F...
. His particular emphasis was on the role of temperature-dependent viscosity and partial melting for both Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
.
Post Doctoral Studies
From 1992 to 1995 he worked as a Fellow in Geophysics at Caltech. There he worked with Mike GurnisMike Gurnis
Michael Gurnis , is the John E. and Hazel S. Smits Professor of Geophysics at the California Institute of Technology.Dr...
on 3D dynamic models of Subduction
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...
in the North West Pacific Ocean as well as mantle convection in Earth and Venus with Slava Solomatov. After this he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Research School of Earth Sciences at ANU
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
until 1997. Then he moved to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
where he worked for CSIRO in the division of Exploration and Mining as a Senior Research Scientist. There he studied large scale continental deformation interacting with mantle convection. In 2002 he moved to Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, where he is now Professor as well as the co-director of Monash Cluster Computing, a parallel computing research centre.
Software development
It was during Moresi's time at Caltech that he wrote the popular mantle convection software program call CitcomCitcom
CitCom is a finite element code designed to solve thermal convection problems relevant to earth's mantle released under the GNU General Public License...
. This is a 2D and 3D Eulerian Finite Element
Finite element method
The finite element method is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations as well as integral equations...
code which is designed to solve problems with extremely large variations in viscosity. Though it was originally a Cartesian serial
Serial communications
In telecommunication and computer science, serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at a time, sequentially, over a communication channel or computer bus. This is in contrast to parallel communication, where several bits are sent as a whole, on a link with several parallel channels...
code, there are currently many versions, including a spherical parallel version called CitComS (see Citcom
Citcom
CitCom is a finite element code designed to solve thermal convection problems relevant to earth's mantle released under the GNU General Public License...
for code's history).
During his time at CSIRO, he reworked Citcom
Citcom
CitCom is a finite element code designed to solve thermal convection problems relevant to earth's mantle released under the GNU General Public License...
using the Particle-in-cell
Particle-in-cell
The Particle-in-Cell method refers to a technique used to solve a certain class of partial differential equations. In this method, individual particles in a Lagrangian frame are tracked in continuous phase space, whereas moments of the distribution such as densities and currents are computed...
approach and created a new program called Ellipsis
Ellipsis
Ellipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence...
. Having lagrangian integration points meant that the scientist using the code could track history and material properties through time. This allowed complex rheologies and geometries to be modelled easily and flexibily. Though Ellipsis
Ellipsis
Ellipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence...
only worked in 2D and in serial, it was extremely popular in the geophysics community.
Currently Moresi, in partnership with VPAC, is working on a parallel 3D version of Ellipsis called Underworld.