Acquisition of a 864-node PC cluster for Caltech Computational Geoscience

EAR-0521699TrompCaltech的地质和行星科学部门将建造一台864节点的PC集群计算机，该计算机将与现有的160节点集群相结合。由此产生的超级计算机将拥有1024个节点(2048个处理器)，并将致力于广泛的地球科学研究和教育。NSF奖是戴尔、英特尔和加州理工学院合作伙伴关系资金的重要组成部分。NSF、戴尔和英特尔为这台计算机提供了资金，而加州理工学院则翻新了1750平方英尺的空间，配备了先进的冷却和不间断电源。该计算设施将用于固体地球科学(包括地震学、地球动力学和大地测量学)、大气科学(包括气候动力学)和行星科学(包括行星大气)的研究。该项目涉及基础研究以及将对社会产生重大益处的工作(如与地震、震动和气候变化有关的工作)的广泛主题。例如，在地震学方面，基础设施将极大地改善全球和局部的地球结构图像，以及大型破坏性地震的破裂图像。在地球物理学中，与观测相联系的模拟将导致对驱动板块构造和地震破裂的力量有更全面的了解。在大气科学中，将使用模拟来演示水蒸气是如何保持的，它是如何变化的，以及它可能如何导致快速的气候变化。在行星科学方面，将研究太阳系中最戏剧性的天气事件--火星全球沙尘暴--的机制。由于当今地球科学家面临的许多科学挑战超越了学科界限，许多计算挑战涉及与算法、可视化和数据同化有关的共同问题，因此单一的计算机系统将使尖端模拟成为可能，同时促进和促进思想的交叉培养。该设施将创造一个促进跨学科互动并将研究与教育相结合的学习环境，从而教育和培训下一代学术和行业计算科学家和工程师。

EAR-0521699TrompCaltech's Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences will construct an 864-node PC cluster computer that will be combined with an existing 160-node cluster. The resulting supercomputer will have 1024-nodes (2048 processors) and will be dedicated to a wide spectrum of geoscience research and education. The NSF Award provides an important component of the funding for a partnership between Dell, Intel, and Caltech. NSF, Dell, and Intel have provided the funds for the computer while Caltech renovated 1750 square feet of space with advanced cooling and uninterruptible power. The computational facility will be used for research in the solid-earth sciences (including seismology, geodynamics, and geodesy), atmospheric sciences (including climate dynamics), and planetary sciences (including planetary atmospheres). The project spans a wide range of topics in basic research as well as work that will have a substantial benefit to society (such as work related to earthquake shaking and climate change). For example, in seismology, the infrastructure will lead to dramatically improved images of earth structure, globally and locally, as well as images of the rupture of large, destructive earthquakes. In geophysics, simulations tied to observations will lead to a fuller understanding of the forces driving plate tectonics and the rupture of earthquakes. In atmospheric sciences, simulations will be used to demonstrate how water vapor is maintained, how it varies, and how it may cause rapid climate change. In planetary sciences, the mechanisms of the most dramatic weather events in the solar system, the Martian global dust storms, will be investigated. Since many of the scientific challenges facing geoscientists today transcend disciplinary boundaries, and many of the computational challenges involve common issues related to algorithms, visualization, and data assimilation, the single computer system will enable cutting-edge simulations while promoting and fostering cross-fertilization of ideas. The facility will generate a learning environment that fosters interdisciplinary interactions and integrates research with education, thereby educating and training the next generation of academic and industry computational scientists and engineers.