The Virtual Geoscience Workbench,VGW： Open Source tools for discontinuous systems

In 1989 work began on merging finite and discrete elements. During 1990 algorithmic solutions for the new combined method were developed, together with a C-based implementation known as the Y code. In 2004 these developments and implementations were published as a textbook. Queen Mary University of London ~QMUL） and Imperial College are currently engaged in a research project to make Y codes in both 2D and 3D available in Open Source format and with mainly geoscience problems in mind. The result is a set of Open Source tools for Geoscience （VGW）, key components of which are summarised in this paper, together with illustrative range of simulation results. 2009 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.