GPU-based parallel computation for discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) method and its application to modelling earthquake-induced landslide

Graphic Processing Unit (GPU), as a computing device, has upgraded from single-subject graphical processors to multi-core processors with tremendous computational horsepower. This paper proposes to accelerate the DDA using parallel Jacobi Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (JPCG) technique on GPUs. Based on the results of two numerical examples, the calculation accuracies of the DDA with serial and parallel solvers are validated, and we found that the DDA with parallel solvers exhibits a much higher execution efficiency. The movement process of Daguangbao landslide triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake is replicated and the modeled deposit pattern coincides well with the actual topography after earthquake.