APPLICATION OF HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING TO SUBSURFACE EXPLOSION SOURCE PHYSICS

Predictive modeling capabilities for nonlinear wave propagation in heterogeneous geologic media remain a modern day scientific frontier. In part this is due to a lack of comprehensive understanding of the complex physical processes associated with the transient response of geologic material, and in part it is due to numerical challenges that prohibit accurate representation of the heterogeneities that influence the material response. Recent advances in modeling capabilities coupled with modern high performance computing platforms enable physics-based simulations with unprecedented details, offering a prospect for significant advances in the state of the art. This presentation provides an overview of modeling approaches, discusses their advantages and limitations, and attempts to formulate an integrated framework leading to the development of predictive modeling capabilities for explosion source physics and nonlinear wave propagation in jointed and fractured geologic materials.