The main goal of this short course is to provide an introduction into the basic concepts of numerical modelling of solid Earth processes in the Earth’s crust and mantle in a non-technical manner. Emphasis will be put on what numerical models are and how they work while taking into account the advantages and limitations of the different methods. We will go through the steps of building a numerical code and setting up the corresponding models, using specific examples from key papers to showcase:
(1) The motivation behind using numerical methods,
(2) The basic equations used in geodynamic modelling studies, what they mean, and their assumptions,
(3) How to choose appropriate numerical methods,
(4) How to benchmark the resulting code,
(5) How to go from the geological problem to the model setup,
(6) How to set initial and boundary conditions,
(7) How to interpret the model results.
Armed with the knowledge of a typical numerical modelling workflow, participants will then be able to better assess the use of a specific numerical model to answer their own research question.

The 90-minute short course is run by early career geodynamicists and is part of the Solid Earth 101 short course series together with Geodynamics 101B, Seismology 101 and Geology 101. It is dedicated to everyone who is interested in, but not necessarily experienced with, understanding numerical models; in particular early career scientists (BSc, MSc, PhD students and postdocs) and people who are new to the field of geodynamic modelling. The course "Geodynamics 101B: Scientific applications" focusses on the application of the numerical methods discussed in this short course to large scale dynamic processes on Earth. Discussion and questions will be greatly encouraged.