Introduction

Geodynamic processes of mass transfer and deformation at plate margins play a critical role in shaping the Earth. Many of these processes are difficult to observed and measure directly and one of the many tools we use to further our understanding of these processes and their resulting structures is that of forward modeling.

Forward modeling techniques include both analog and numerical experiments. At the University of Maine, within the Department of Earth Sciences, we have developed an Analog Modeling Facility designed for both teaching and research. Analog experiments allow students and faculty to build and observe physical models of phenomena encountered in the Earth Sciences. Associated with the Analog Modeling Facility, we also run numerical experiments in our Numerical Modeling Facility.

One of the most accessible experiments in the Analog lab is a dry sandbox. Sand is a particularly good analog for scaled experiments of the frictional upper crust. The strength of dry sand increases with depth in a manner and rate similar to that of the upper crust of the Earth, and thus is ideal for simple simulations of many problems of continental deformation.