L’air collant en géodynamique
Numerical models contribute to a substantial part of research conducted in Earth sciences. To be executed on a computer, the mathematical representations they depict are transformed into a computer program. The present article aims at following this transformation and at questioning the implications...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fra |
| Published: |
Société d'Anthropologie des Connaissances
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Revue d'anthropologie des connaissances |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rac/26939 |
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| Summary: | Numerical models contribute to a substantial part of research conducted in Earth sciences. To be executed on a computer, the mathematical representations they depict are transformed into a computer program. The present article aims at following this transformation and at questioning the implications of rendering a representation computationally executable. It uses to this end a case study of the so-called “sticky air” numerical method employed in geodynamics, which consists of putting a layer of a hybrid material – a hundred thousand quintillion (1023) times more viscous than air – on top of the Earth crust. Far from being only a marginal and automatic step in the modelling process, the constitution of an executable computer code is the result of a profoundly creative and negotiated practice. |
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| ISSN: | 1760-5393 |