UCVM

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The Unified Community Velocity Model (UCVM) software framework is a collection of software tools designed to provide standard interface to multiple, alternative, California 3D velocity models. One important use of UCVMC is in high resolution 3D wave propagation simulations for California. UCVM development is an interdisciplinary research collaboration involving geoscientists and computer scientists. UCVM geoscience research includes identification and assembly of existing California velocity models into a state-wide model and improvements to existing velocity models. UCVM computer science research includes definition of a easy-to-use CVM query interface, integration of regional 3D and geotechnical models, and automated CVM evaluation processing capabilities.

Coverage region for UCVM 2D maps (cyan) overlayed upon regions of various California 3D velocity models (CVM-S4: red, CVM-H: blue, USGS Bay Area: white)

UCVM Introduction

The Unified Community Velocity Model (UCVM) software is open-source scientific software designed to support earth scientists, civil engineers, and other groups interested in detailed information about earth properties. UCVM is primarily used by scientists to work with earth material properties on regional scales.

UCVM software provides a software interface to one or more existing earth structure models. The earth structure models can be used directly without requiring UCVM. While UCVM adds complexity, it provides software capabilities that may be valuable to researchers. These UCVM specific capabilities include:

  1. Provides standard query interface to multiple CVM models with different projections.
  2. Converts query by elevation to query by depth to create comparable models.
  3. Provides standard methods for tri-linear interpolation, Vs30, and basin query from models.
  4. Provides plotting and analysis tools that make vertical profile, horizontal, and cross section plots.
  5. Provides tools to add gtl and ssh into models.
  6. Supports tiling of models and background models.
  7. Make AWP and ETree format meshes including parallel extractions.

UCVM_System_Requirements

Reference computing environment is the USC HPC system.

  • Centos 5.6
  • gnu C, gfortran 4.5
  • Python 2.7
  • Anaconda Python packages
  • Git client
  • vi or emacs

Parallel UCVM Build Adds:

  • MPI
  • MPICH

UCVM Software Releases

As of August 2017, the current "approved" version of UCVM is the C language version of the code that we call it UCVM v17.1 (or ucvm-17.1.0). This distribution is a simplified and improved version of the UCVM v15.10.0 (ucvm-15.10.0) software release. If you are installing UCVM for the first time on a Linux computer, we recommend using UCVM v17.1.0 because it includes all available updates, and is easier to install.

UCVM is distributed as open-source scientific software. It can be installed compiled and run on most Linux-based computer systems if the system includes software development tools including Python, C, and Fortran compilers, and other software tools. The UCVM v17.1.0 source code is distributed using a github repository including the source code, installation directions for Linux, and a wiki that provide examples and the expected results from UCVM.

SCEC also has developed a beta, version of UCVM that we call UCVM v17.3.0. However, this version of UCVM is considered under evaluation. This new version of UCVM has several potential benefits over previous versions, including:

  • A central California model (CCA06) that is not included in ucvm-17.1.0
  • A tools for creating meshes in the RWG format (I think the RWG mesh format uses separate files for Vp, Vs, and rho). However, we have not confirmed that the RWG format meshes it creates are correct. We think they are correct, but we are still testing this RWG meshing capability. We also still testing ucvm-17.3.0 Hercules mesh formatting capabilities.

UCVM Python Language Version Installation

The UCVM software and associated installation directions are now hosted as open-source software on SCEC's github account. Please visit this site to retrieve the software source code and additional detailed installation information.

UCVM C-language Version

The most recent release of the C-language version of the code UCVM v17.1, released in January 2017, is posted on a github wiki.

UCVM v17.1 the recommended version of the original, C-language, implementation of UCVM. The UCVM v17.1 software replaces the previously released, 2015 version of the C-language version of UCVM v15.10. The UCVM v17.1 release removed some features from the previous version so the code is simplified and more maintainable.

SCEC has developed a Python version of UCVM that is available in a pre-release beta version. The first official release of the Python version of UCVM will be made after this new version is tested in several additional computing environments, and after some of its advanced mesh-making capabilities pass science group reviewed.

Earlier version of UCVM

Links to the previous release of UCVM is posted here. For C-language UCVM users, we recommend working with the current version V17.1.

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