Hybrid Surface Mesh Adaptation for Climate Modeling

Solution-driven mesh adaptation is becoming quite popular for spatial error control in the numerical simulation of complex computational physics applications, such as climate modeling. Typically, spatial adaptation is achieved by element subdivision (h adaptation) with a primary goal of resolving the local length scales of interest. A second, less-popular method of spatial adaptivity is called “mesh motion” (r adaptation); the smooth repositioning of mesh node points aimed at resizing existing elements to capture the local length scales. This paper proposes an adaptation method based on a combination of both element subdivision and node point repositioning (rh adaptation). By combining these two methods using the notion of a mobility function, the proposed approach seeks to increase the flexibility and extensibility of mesh motion algorithms while providing a somewhat smoother transition between refined regions than is produced by element subdivision alone. Further, in an attempt to support the requirements of a very general class of climate simulation applications, the proposed method is designed to accommodate unstructured, polygonal mesh topologies in addition to the most popular mesh types. AMS subject classifications: 52B10, 65D18, 68U05, 68U07