P-velocity 3-dimensional mantle model BDP98 (Boschi & Dziewonski, JGR, 1999). Approximately equal area block model (5 degrees X 5 degrees X 193.3 km). The model consists of 15 layers, numbered 01 through 15, 01 being the shallowest and 15 the deepest. (bdp98.ps is a postscript file with an overall picture of the whole model; layer 01 is at the top to the left, layer 02 is right of 01, and so on, down to layer 15 wich is at the bottom to the left. The color scale saturates at +-1% at all depths.) The layers are given in the files layer_01.d through layer_15.d, in the following format (example): 1.25403E-02 0. 85.0000 0. 90.0000 90.0000 90.0000 90.0000 85.0000 -0.301233 90.0000 85.0000 90.0000 90.0000 180.000 90.0000 180.000 85.0000 -0.391459 180.000 85.0000 180.000 90.0000 270.000 90.0000 270.000 85.0000 the single numbers are the value of the PERCENT velocity perturbation relative to PREM within each block; the following four pairs of numbers are longitude and latitude of the four vertices of the corresponding block... and so on... I believe that the best way to plot this file is to use gmt. First you need to write a program to turn each file into something like: > -G165/243/172 0. 85.0000 0. 90.0000 90.0000 90.0000 90.0000 85.0000 > -G255/184/101 90.0000 85.0000 90.0000 90.0000 180.000 90.0000 180.000 85.0000 > -G255/162/071 180.000 85.0000 180.000 90.0000 270.000 90.0000 270.000 85.0000 where the three integers after -G, separated by /, define the color corresponding to the velocity perturbation in the block (and then the block-vertices coordinates are just the same), based on a colorscale of your choice. Assuming that you called this new file image, you can use (more or less) the commands psxy image -JH180/6 -Bg45/g45 -R0/360/-90/90 -K -M >! fig.ps pscoast -R0/360/-90/90 -O -JH180 -W1 -Dc -A5000 >> velocity.ps to obtain a figure with that layer of the model (and the coastline). note: the files layr___a.d.gz through layr___o.d.gz contain the same layers (a being 01, b being 02 and so on), in the format x,y,z, x and y being 1-degree spaced points (64800 records for each file), and z being the model. Lapo Boschi, Cambridge, September 10, 1999. boschi@seismology.harvard.edu