The IDV can display several parameters at once, such as temperature, composition parameters (scalars), flow (vectors), and surface gravity anomalies,seismic tomography isosurfaces, and geoid heights. Full controls on color scales, transparency, and time animation are included. You can save images and movies in several formats. Ypou can label and annotate images and add legends.

Mantle Convection Models (below)

Data Formats (below)

You might be interested in Tectonic Plates and Plate Velocity Vectors in the IDV

Mantle Convection

Allen McNamara of Arizona State University. provided the mantle convection model output used in these examples, in 2006. These views may not represent his more recent models.

To more learn about exploring 3D model grids with the UNAVCO IDV, and the NetCDF data format, see

Visualizing and Analysing Seismic Tomography with the IDV

Using the NetCDF data format for seismic tomography and other 2D and 3D Grids

For a lot more detail about NetCDf and the UNAVCO IDV, NetCDF Data for the UNAVCO IDV

Sample IDV Displays of Mantle Convection

McNamara model, world temperatures at 75 km depth, present time

McNamara model, world temperatures at 75 km depth, 170 Ma

MOVIE of McNamara model, world temperatures at 75 km depth, 170 Ma to present, animated gif

MOVIE of McNamara model, world temperatures at 75 km depth, 170 Ma to present, Quicktime

Mantle cross section, along equator, of temperature.
Temperature scale is a fraction of core-mantle boundary (high) temperature. Note regions of cold material in deep mantle, and vertical hot 'plumes.'

MOVIE: Quicktime movie

MOVIE: animated gif movie

Mantle temperatures 2D vertical cross section
Temperature scale same as previous, a fraction of core-mantle boundary (high) temperature. Note regions of cold material in deep mantle, and vertical hot 'plumes.' 170 Ma.

McNamara convection model: mantle temperature isosurface at 55% of core-mantle temperature; movie 170 Ma to present.
Quicktime movie

3D oblique view of Mantle temperature isosurface and vertical cross-section of temperature
Temperature scale of 1.0 to 0.0 is fraction of core-mantle boundary (high) temperature. Note regions of cold material in deep mantle, and vertical hot 'plumes.'

color image of global temperatures at single depth
Quicktime movie
animated gif movie

Quicktime movie of "sinkers"

Data Formats for Mantle Convection Models in the UNAVCO IDV - how to put your data in the UNAVCO IDV

For 3D grids in the IDV use NetCDF files. You can find lots of details about NetCDF in our NetCDF web page.

And see Using the UNAVCO IDV to explore seismic tomography and mantle convection models

Here is a sample NetCDF CDL file for a 3D grid of the mantle. This particular example has grid points at very degree and 48 depths, for one parameter and one time. The long array "grid_values" has been truncated only to save the space for 3,136,368 values in this example file. All of these choices can be modified. Use this file as a template to make your own ASCII CDL files. Then use the NetCDF processor "ncgen" to make the binary NetCDF file for the IDV.