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Mandyoc
What Mandyoc is
Mandyoc is free desktop software for simulating thermo-chemical convection in Earth’s mantle with the finite element method. It solves conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy using a non-Newtonian fluid formulation and the Boussinesq approximation. Two-dimensional models use quadrilateral elements, while three-dimensional grids use hexahedral elements and support 3D visuals. The code offers linear and nonlinear rheologies, including visco-plastic deformation, Byerlee or Drucker-Prager plasticity, and temperature-based, Frank-Kamenetskii, or power-law viscosity. Particles placed in finite elements track composition as they move with nearby node velocities. Configuration covers solver selection, particle advection, viscosity, simulation time limits, free-surface tracking, erosion, and sedimentation. ASCII files can supply initial temperature, interface geometry, and velocity fields. Examples include explanatory Jupyter notebooks, and documentation covers installation, parameters, applications, and benchmarks. Mandyoc runs on Linux and macOS, requires PETSc, gcc, and make, and provides a Docker image that requires Docker Engine. Windows installation has not been tested.
Who it suits
Mandyoc suits researchers and students modeling mantle and crust processes with finite elements. It is intended for users comfortable with scientific configuration files, PETSc, and command-line installation.
What it does well
- Free software under the BSD 3-Clause License
- Supports two- and three-dimensional grids
- Includes multiple plastic and viscous rheologies
- Tracks composition with advected particles
- Provides notebooks, examples, and benchmark documentation
What to know first
- Requires PETSc, gcc, and make
- Windows installation has not been tested
- Docker use requires Docker Engine
- PETSc versions above 3.25 are discouraged
Verdict
Mandyoc provides detailed thermo-chemical mantle modeling with configurable rheology, particles, and surface processes. Its Linux and macOS setup and scientific dependencies make it more suitable for technical users than casual desktop use.
Facts from Mandyoc's own pages
- Configuration
- The parameter file configures options including solver type, particle advection, surface tracking, viscosity, and simulation time limits. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Container
- The project provides a Docker container image for Mandyoc. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Delivery mode
- desktop · ggciag.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Dependency
- Mandyoc requires the PETSc library to run. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Dimensions
- The implementation uses hexahedral elements for three-dimensional grids and quadrilateral elements for two-dimensional grids. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Documentation and examples
- The documentation includes installation instructions, parameter and input file descriptions, applications, examples, and benchmark studies. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Examples
- The repository's examples include Jupyter notebooks with explanations and instructions for running experiments. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · ggciag.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Inputs
- Initial temperature, velocity, and model interface geometry can be supplied using ASCII input files. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- Mandyoc is free software distributed under the BSD 3-clause License. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The installation guide says Mandyoc currently supports PETSc up to v3.24.5 and advises against versions above v3.25. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Numerical method
- It uses the finite element method, with hexahedral elements for 3D grids and quadrilateral elements for 2D grids. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Particles
- The code tracks composition by placing particles in finite elements and advecting them according to nearby node velocities. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Physics
- The model solves conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy using a non-Newtonian fluid formulation and the Boussinesq approximation. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Platforms and dependencies
- The installation instructions support Linux and macOS; Windows installation has not been tested, and building requires PETSc, gcc, and make. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Mandyoc is a finite element code built on PETSc to simulate thermo-chemical convection of Earth's mantle. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Rheologies
- It supports different linear and non-linear rheologies to simulate strain and stress patterns in Earth's crust and mantle during extension or collision. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Rheology
- The code supports different linear and non-linear rheologies for simulating strain and stress patterns in the crust and mantle. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Rheology features
- Its documented options include visco-plastic deformation, Byerlee or Drucker-Prager plasticity criteria, and temperature-based or power-law viscous rheology. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Rheology options
- Available options include plastic yield criteria and viscous rheologies such as Frank-Kamenetskii and power-law models. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to GitHub discussions and issues and lists support contacts [email protected] and [email protected]. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Supported operating systems
- The documented installation steps work on Linux and macOS; the project says installation on Windows has not been tested. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
- Surface processes
- Configuration options allow free-surface tracking and erosion and sedimentation simulation. · ggciag.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Surface stabilization
- It uses a Free Surface Stabilization Algorithm to address numerical instabilities at the model surface. · ggciag.github.io, 11 Oct 2026
Where Mandyoc stands on Freedom251
- Physics Simulation Software#34 of 89