PyBacktrack 1.4 released

PyBacktrack 1.4 is now available, and adds support for generating paleobathymetry grids from submerged present-day crust.

PyBacktrack is available as a Python package and a Docker image. Installation instructions can be found online in the pyBacktrack documentation.

Changes since version 1.3:

• Can now generate paleobathymetry grids:
  • Submerged oceanic and continental present-day crust is backtracked and reconstructed.
    • Similar to drill sites, but 2D instead of 1D.
  • Continental subsidence model obtains rifting period from builtin rift grids:
    • In contrast to drill sites where rifting period is explicitly specified.
    • Builtin rift grids:
      • Cover all submerged continental crust, and
      • are generated from Müller 2019 deforming plate model:
        • “A global plate model including lithospheric deformation along major rifts and orogens since the Triassic“
  • All submerged crust is assigned a single lithology, whereas drill sites have multiple stratigraphic layers.
  • Water depths are negative (below sea level) in paleobathymetry grids, but positive in backtracked drill site output.
  • Supports multiple CPUs to reduce running time.
• Supplementary scripts can be installed:
  • Previously was `misc/` folder in Github repository, but is now installable.
  • Added script to preferentially merge paleobathymetry grids produced by pybacktrack with externally produced paleobathymetry grids (after adding dynamic topography to external grids).
  • Added script to generate rift start/end time grids from a global deforming model (used to generate builtin rift grids).
  • Added script to extract present day trenches from a global deforming model (used internally to avoid deep bathymetry near trenches).
  • Added script to convert sediment thickness into water thickness based on porosity assuming a single “average ocean floor sediment” lithology.
• Backtracking:
  • Updated builtin total sediment thickness grid to 2019 version:
    • “GlobSed: Updated total sediment thickness in the world’s oceans“
  • Updated builtin age grid to 2020 version:
    • “A global dataset of present-day oceanic crustal age and seafloor spreading paramters“
  • Added “RHCW18” age-to-depth model:
    • “Structure and dynamics of the oceanic lithosphere-asthenosphere system“
    • Is now the default model (previously was “GDH1”).
  • Added Cao2019 dynamic topography models (“AY18” and “KM16”):
    • “The interplay of dynamic topography and eustasy on continental flooding in the late Paleozoic“
  • Rift start/end times are no longer required for drill sites on continental crust.
    • Now obtained implicitly from builtin rift grids, if not specified explicitly in drill site file.
• Updated example notebooks:
  • Added notebook to demonstrate paleobathymetry gridding.
    • Added geohistory analysis examples demonstrating backtracking of ocean and shallow continental drill sites.
• Updated functions and classes (API reference):
  • New paleobathymetry functions to:
    • Generate paleobathymetry by reconstructing and backtracking sediment-covered crust through time,
    • write reconstructed paleobathymetry as NetCDF grids.
  • Can decompact at any age (not just ages at stratigraphic boundaries).
    • Assumes a constant sediment deposition rate within each stratigraphic layer.
  • Dynamic topography:
    • Now supports multiple point locations:
      • Previously supported just a single drill site location.
    • Slight change in how grids are interpolated (see notes under DynamicTopography.sample).
      • Note: there is only a difference when interpolating between grid times (no difference at grid times).
    • New class InterpolateDynamicTopography:
      • For just interpolating time-dependent dynamic topography mantle frame grids.
        • Used in above-mentioned script for merging paleobathymetry grids.
      • Existing class DynamicTopography both reconstructs and interpolates.

Documentation: https://pybacktrack.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
Github: https://github.com/EarthByte/pyBacktrack
Python package: https://pypi.org/project/pybacktrack/
Docker: https://hub.docker.com/r/earthbyte/pybacktrack