Numerical modeling is the process of obtaining approximate solutions to problems of scientific and/or engineering interest. The book series addresses novel mathematical and numerical techniques with an interdisciplinary emphasis that cuts across all fields of science, engineering and technology. It focuses on breakthrough research in a richly varied range of applications in physical, chemical, biological, geoscientific, medical and other fields in response to the explosively growing interest in numerical modeling in general and its expansion to ever more sophisticated physics. The goal of this series is to bridge the knowledge gap among engineers, scientists, and software developers trained in a variety of disciplines and to improve knowledge transfer among these groups involved in research, development and/or education. <...>

Many people and companies must be acknowledged for their assistance in the preparation of this book. Undoubtably, I will fail to mention all of them. To them 1 sincerely apologize for the oversight.

Heterogeneous ductile shear zones are very common in the Earth’s lithosphere and are particularly well exposed in mountain belts (e.g. Iannace and Vitale 2004; Yonkee 2005; Vitale et al. 2007a,b; Okudaira and Beppu 2008; Alsleben et al. 2008; Sarkarinejad et al. 2010; Kuiper et al. 2011; Dasgupta et al. 2012; Zhang et al. 2013; Samani 2013; Mukherjee 2013, 2014; also see Chapter 9), where they provide useful tools for a better understanding of the processes and parameters controlling strain localization, type of deformation, and rock rheology. The occurrence of strain markers such as fossils, ooids and ellipsoidal clasts in sedimentary rocks, or equant minerals, deflected veins and dykes in igneous rocks, allows one to quantify the finite strain by means of various methods (e.g. Dunnet 1969; Fry 1979; Lisle 1985; Erslev 1988; Vitale and Mazzoli 2005, 2010). <...>

Dynamic Earth presents the principles of convection in the earth's mantle in an accessible style. Mantle convection is the process underlying plate tectonics, volcanic hotspots and, hence, most geological processes. This book is one of the first to synthesise the exciting insights into the earth's basic internal mechanisms that have flowed from the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s.