DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15475774
title: The dynamics and surface signal of slab break-off in continental settings: Insights from 3D numerical modeling _ DataBASE

description: # 📁 Database Repository for Slab Detachment Simulations

This repository complements the main repository, which contains the primary script and the first simulation database used to reproduce the results of our study. Here, we provide the **two additional databases** required to fully reproduce the **main figure** of the manuscript.

These databases were used during post-processing after the simulations were completed. They are provided here along with the scripts for figure generation. For transparency, we also list the key properties stored within each database. Some portions of the data were not used in the final manuscript—if you require additional information, please contact the corresponding author: **Andrea Piccolo**.

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## 📦 Contents of Each Database

Each database is structured by `Test_Name` and includes the following components:

### 1. Coordinate System

Vectors and grids used for handling model geometry. Two primary grids are used:

- **Computational grid**: also used for the free surface.- **Phase grid**: a refined grid used to resolve material phase properties and track slab detachment.

#### Fields:- `xt, yt, zt`: original computational grid  - `xP, yP, zP`: original phase grid  - `x, y, z, ind_x, ind_y, ind_z`: zoomed computational grid and index selectors  - `xp, yp, zp, ind_xp, ind_yp, ind_zp`: zoomed phase grid and index selectors

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### 2. Initial Geometry Data

Stores all relevant properties used by MATLAB scripts to reconstruct the model's initial geometry, including the trench.

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### 3. Slab Detachment

Tracked slab properties and associated vectors to identify and analyze the slab:

- `x_s`: slab length (i.e.: we select the x coordinate where we define the slab in the phase grid, then we apply the formula to compute the trench geometry, and then we integrate from left to right for having the evolution of the slab tearing along the slab length)  - `y_b`: x-coordinate reference for slab analysisAll the following field are 3D matrix M[spatial coordinate (x_s),value,n_timesteps]- `D`: slab thickness [km]- `T`: temperature  [deg C]- `Tau`: stress  [MPa]- `Eta`: viscosity [Pas] - `Eps`: strain rate [1/s] - `Psi`: dissipation rate [W/m3] - `F_T`: applied linear force [N/m]  

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### 4. Initial Conditions (`IC`)

Contains the initial condition setup and scaling. **Note**: this section is not relevant to the current study but is included for completeness.

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### 5. Phase Database

Parsed material properties derived from the original `.dat` configuration file.

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### 6. Free Surface Data

All free surface fields collected during the simulation are stored as 3D arrays with dimensions:

- `nx_s`, `ny_s`: number of nodes in the zoomed grid along x and y  - `n_timesteps`: number of saved simulation steps

#### Fields:- `Amplitude`: topography minus its average  [km]- `Topo`: raw topography  [km]- `dH`: topographic change per time step  [mm/yr]- `vx, vy, vz, vm`: free surface velocity components  [mm/yr]- `vx_M, vy_M, vz_M`: average velocity components  [mm/yr]- `eps_mean`, `tau_mean`, `thickness`: average strain rate, stress, and lithospheric thickness[1/s,MPa,km]

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### 7. PhPtr (Passive Tracer of the Basement)

Passive tracers used in the simulation. **Note**: not used in the current manuscript.

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### 8. Time Vector

Contains the simulation time steps.

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## 📬 Contact

For any questions or additional information, please contact:

**Andrea Piccolo**  Corresponding AuthorA.Piccolo@leeds.ac.uk