Since March 2026, tAo is distribute together with its pseudo-3D version TISC:

https://github.com/danigeos/tisc

1D (Pseudo-2D, Vertical Cross-Section) Modelling of Flexural Isostasy, Erosion, Orographic Precipitation, and Foreland Basin Formation Using Finite Differences

tAo is a C program for Linux and macOS designed to calculate the flexure of the lithosphere and, more generally, to numerically simulate the formation of foreland basins in pseudo-2D (vertical cross section).

Note: The pseudo-3D version of tAo is called TISC and is distributed separately.

• Main Author: Daniel Garcia-Castellanos (CSIC)
• Details: See authorship, disclaimers, and citation info in doc/tAo_Documentation.md.
• License: See details in the doc/ directory.

tAo has been developed in C and is ready for compilation in a macOS or Linux environment. You will also need GMT 4 or Python for graphic output.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gmt ksh csh tofrodos

1. Install VirtualBox.
2. Download the pre-configured VM.
3. Import the VM with Ubuntu 20.04 + GMT 4.5.18 (VirtualBox > File > Import...).

1. Uncompress the downloaded file into a directory named tao/.
2. Check the compiling options in tao/config.mk.
3. Compile by typing make in the main directory. This will create the executable tao in the bin/ directory.
4. Add tao/bin/ and tao/script/ to your system PATH and define the tao_dir variable in your environment:

   export tao_dir=/path/to/tao
   export PATH=$PATH:$tao_dir/bin:$tao_dir/script

• Try the examples in the tao/demo/ directory to ensure that the code is working properly and that the graphic output (*.ps or *.png) is generated correctly.
• Read the doc/tAo_Documentation.md file to learn how to configure and use tAo.