A package for PLATE RECognition in PYthon!

Documentation

Python Packaging Index (PyPI)

For most recent updates, as well as contributing to the project, please refer to the GitHub repository .

Features

Reliable surface tesselation and candidate plate detection
Generates a probability field for the assessment of plate detection output
Requires no specific grid or structure for the input data
Utilizes numpy arrays for the ease of use and integration in Python projects
Straight-forward save and export to Octave/MATLAB and ParaView
Designed for maximized compatibility with terrestrial data sets and geodynamic model output

Supported platforms

Though platerecipy is fundamentally a Python package, it also relies on backend functionalities that are implemented in C. Linux is the main operating system for platerecipy. However, expect for a number of optimizations (e.g., multithreaded C functions), platerecipy is now available via pip on Windows systems.

Installation

Releases are made available on PyPI so that platerecipy can be installed using pip on the shell as follows:

python -m pip install platerecipy

User guide

platerecipy’s documentation is moved to platerecipy.readthedocs.io !

For a detailed explanation and illustration of platerecipy’s core functionalities, please refer to:

Javaheri, P., & Lowman, J. P. (2026). A random walker algorithm for plate boundary detection in spherical mantle convection models and global geophysical data sets: Application to Euler vector determination. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 131, e2025JB032259. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JB032259