Acquisition of a PC Cluster for Geodynamic Modeling

0111412中该基金为科罗拉多大学地球物理学小组建立一个24节点双处理器PC集群提供部分支持。PC集群将被PI，Shijie Zhong和他的团队用于模拟具有3-D机械结构的地幔粘弹性变形（目前由NSF资助的项目），具有温度和应力依赖流变学的3-D热对流以及其他地球物理问题。PC集群将有利于我们地球物理组（John Wahr和Mike Ritzwoller教授）的大地测量和重力建模以及地震建模。它还将帮助我们在本科生和研究生的高性能教育。 PC集群可具有以下特征：24个节点，每个节点具有两个Pentium III 866 MHz处理器（双处理器）、10-100 bps快速以太网通信、以及每个节点2 GB RAM和20 GB磁盘空间（集群的总RAM和480 GB磁盘空间）。我们将主要使用三维球形有限元软件CitcomS的建议集群。CitcomS是我们专门为研究热对流和粘弹性变形而开发的软件。CitcomS在包括PC集群在内的并行计算机上已被证明是高效的。CitcomS沿着PC集群将使我们能够以足够的精度和分辨率解决各种地球动力学问题。*

0111412ZhongThis grant provides partial support to build a 24-node dual processor PC Cluster for geodynamic modeling in the geophysics group at the University of Colorado. The PC cluster will be used by the PI, Shijie Zhong, and his group to model viscoelastic deformation for Earth's mantle with 3-D mechanical structure (a project currently funded by the NSF), 3-D thermal convection with temperature-and stress-dependent rheology, and other geophysical problems. The PC cluster will benefit geodetic and gravity modeling and seismic modeling in our geophysics group (Professors John Wahr and Mike Ritzwoller). It will also help us in high performance education for undergraduate and graduate students. The PC cluster may have the following features: 24 nodes each with two Pentium III 866 MHz processors (dual processor), 10-100 bps fast Ethernet communication, and 2 Gbytes RAM and 20 Gbytes disk space per node (total 48 Gbytes RAM and 480 Gbytes disk space for the cluster). We will mainly use the 3-D spherical finite element software CitcomS on the proposed cluster. CitcomS is a piece of software that we have developed specifically for studying thermal convection and viscoelastic deformation. CitcomS has been proven highly efficient on parallel computers including PC clusters. CitcomS along with the PC cluster will enable us to tackle various geodynamic problems with adequate accuracy and resolution.***