MRI-R2: Acquisition of a Small Computing Cluster for Geophysical Research

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该合同支持采购一个24节点计算集群系统。该系统将被安置在海岸卡罗莱纳大学（CCU）海岸科学中心，由CCU的信息和技术服务（ITS）以及物理和海洋科学系共同管理。该集群的主要目的是进一步研究地球物理过程。该集群也将向整个CCU社区开放，以造福正在进行计算研究的学生，博士后和教师。智力优势：集群系统的主要任务是推进地球物理学的两个研究项目。第一个项目要求集群运行高级区域预测系统（ARPS）来模拟冬季大气扰动，这些扰动可以影响极地环流和极地平流层云的形成。该项目的结果将增进对极地大气变异性和极地平流层臭氧损失和恢复的了解。第二个项目使用该集群运行区域海洋模拟系统（ROMS）来模拟地质、物理和生物对墨西哥湾北部低氧水柱（缺氧区）形成时间和位置的影响。该项目的结果有助于定量地确定沉积物和有机质的扩散模式以及影响低氧区发育的关键海洋过程。更广泛的影响。这些项目为本科生提供了一个独特的接触实践的前沿研究的机会，这在类似的国家支持的文科院校可能是不可能的。参与的学生研究人员将参与建立和维护集群，进行计算机建模实验，分析模型输出，并展示/撰写研究结果。此外，项目成果和集群使用将纳入CCU新应用物理课程中强调的流体动力学和大气物理课程，以及海洋科学中的沉积地质学和沿海海洋与湿地过程等新课程。整合与集群相关的研究和教育将加强CCU的机构承诺，通过探究性学习提高本科教育。新集群的功能将提供给CCU的所有教职员工及其跨学科学生。目前考古学、艺术史、天体物理学、应用数学和计算机科学的研究活动将立即受益于新的集群。新集群还将支持由当地企业支持的新的CCU博士后奖学金计划，以促进南卡罗来纳州的研究。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This award supports acquisition of a 24-node computing cluster system. The system will be housed in the Coastal Carolina University (CCU) Coastal Science Center and managed jointly by CCU's Information and Technology Services (ITS) and the Physics and Marine Science departments. The primary purpose of the cluster is to further studies in geophysical processes. The cluster will also be made available to the full CCU community to benefit students, post-docs and faculty who are conducting research with emphasis on computation. Intellectual Merit: The primary task of the cluster system is to advance two research projects in geophysics. The first project requires the cluster to operate the Advanced Regional Prediction System [ARPS] to simulate wintertime atmospheric disturbances that can influence the polar circulation and the formation of polar stratospheric clouds. Results from this project will enhance understanding of the variability of the polar atmosphere and polar stratospheric ozone loss and recovery. The second project uses the cluster to run the Regional Ocean Modeling System [ROMS] to simulate geological, physical, and biological impacts on the timing and location of low-oxygen water columns (hypoxic areas) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Results from this project help to quantitatively define the dispersal pattern of sediment and organic matter and key oceanographic processes influencing development of the low-oxygen regions. Broader Impacts. The projects offer undergraduates a unique exposure to hands-on, cutting-edge research that may not otherwise be available at similar state-supported Liberal Arts institutions. Participating student researchers will be involved in building and maintaining the cluster, conducting computer modeling experiments, analyzing model output, and presenting/writing research results. Additionally, results of the projects and cluster usage will be incorporated into courses like Fluid Dynamics and Atmospheric Physics emphasized in CCU's new Applied Physics curriculum and new courses like Sedimentary Geology and Coastal Marine and Wetland Processes in Marine Science. The integration of research and education related to the cluster will strengthen CCU's institutional commitment toward enhancing undergraduate education through inquiry-based learning. Capabilities of the new cluster will be made available to all CCU faculty members and their students across multiple disciplines. Present research activities in Archaeology, Art History, Astrophysics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences will immediately benefit from the new cluster. The new cluster will also support a new CCU Post-Doctoral Fellowship program supported by local businesses to promote research in South Carolina.