Data for: Stability boundaries of localized three-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection in temperature-dependent viscosity fluids

Numerical calculations are performed in a 12x12x1 box, where the top and bottom boundaries are maintained at constant temperatures. Two cases of boundary conditions are considered: either both top and bottom boundaries are free-slip or both are no-slip. The vertical boundaries are free-slip and thermally insulated. The viscosity is an exponential function of temperature. The Rayleigh number is defined based on the viscosity at the bottom boundary. The calculations are conducted using CitcomCU (Moresi and Gurnis, 1996; Zhong, 2006).

Two datasets are provided, one for free-slip boundary conditions and one for no-slip boundary conditions. Each dataset includes the critical Rayleigh number for the linear onset of convection, the minimum Rayleigh number at which localized convective cells are stable, and the maximum Rayleigh number at which localized convective cells are stable, for a given viscosity contrast across the layer. All three Rayleigh numbers are determined numerically at the same resolution, with 32 equidimensional finite elements in the vertical direction. For a 12x12x1 box, this resolution translates into 4,718,592 finite elements. This includes the critical Rayleigh number for the free-slip boundary conditions, calculated by Solomatov and Jain (2021) at this resolution.