ABSTRACT
From geochemistry to hydrology, paleontology to mantle dynamics, computer simulation models are now a standard part of the tool kit of the earth sciences. There has been an explosive increase in the use of computer simulation models in fields as diverse as economics, aeronautics, cosmology, epidemiology, and forest ecology. Geology is no exception. The implication tor computer models are evident. The more sophisticated they become, the more difficult it is to refute them. One can save a complex model from refutation by small adjustments to its components. Modelers who attempt to represent complex natural systems often eschew simplification as fallacious. Many models of natural systems are based on continuum theory in which a material with heterogeneous parts is treated as if it were a single homogeneous entity: the continuum. Computer models of natural processes may be limited by mathematical understanding, computational power, or data.
