Acquisition of a Computer Facility for Hydrologic and Environmental Research

肯特州立大学的水资源研究所（WRRI）试图建立一个计算机设施，用于分析和分发水资源研究的图形数据。该设施将包括一个中央文件和计算服务器、一个用于处理和显示三维数据的图形工作站网络和一个用于处理和显示二维数据的PowerPC工作站网络，以及为高质量图像采集（扫描仪、数码相机、摄像机）和输出（彩色和黑白打印机、幻灯片制作机）提供必要的输入输出支持。 由于自然系统的复杂性，环境研究需要协作的跨学科方法。野外观察必须与实验室实验相结合。一门学科的知识必须应用于解释另一门学科的数据。一些系统的庞大规模（空间和时间）需要的数据集太大，一组调查人员无法获取或评估。拟议的设施专门用于加强与环境中的水有关的合作研究，包括校园内，州内和州外的合作。该网络将简化WRRI成员之间以及KSU和校外工作人员之间的图形数据传输。文件/计算服务器将提供对大型环境和气候建模数据库的校园访问，并将促进复杂系统建模所需的数值密集型计算。图形工作站将能够真实的实时显示气候、水文和化学结构的三维可视化。该设施将由WRRI管理，WRRI是一个跨学科组织，旨在促进跨部门的水资源问题合作研究。 该设施将支持WRRI目前的研究，包括水质，气候和全球变化，生态系统健康和宏观环境问题的分子水平工具的应用项目。所有PI都从事水质研究，特别关注开发生物和化学方法（Leff，Cabaniss），生态系统化学和生物扰动的系统级研究（Heath，Leff，Smith），流域流量和污染物运输的建模（Carlson，Maurice）以及区域或国家尺度的水质测绘（Carlson，Lee）。Maurice和Smith博士（地质学）也在研究水在气候和全球变化中的作用。Carlson，Heath，Leff（生物科学）和Lee（地理）正在微观和宏观层面上研究生态系统健康。Cabaniss（化学），Heath（生物科学）和Maurice正在探索分子水平工具的应用-分子光谱学，生物化学测定，原子力显微镜-环境问题。

The Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) of Kent State University (KSU) seeks to establish a computer facility for the analysis and distribution of graphical data for research in water resources. The facility will consist of a central file and compute server, a network of graphical workstations for processing and displaying three-dimensional data and PowerPC workstations for processing and displaying two-dimensional data, and the necessary input-output support for high quality image acquisition (scanners, digital cameras, video cameras) and output (color and black-andwhite printers, slide maker). Environmental research requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach because of the complexity of natural systems. Field observations must be integrated with laboratory experiments. Knowledge from one discipline must be applied to interpret data in another. The sheer size of some systems (spatial and temporal) requires data sets too large for a single group of investigators to acquire or to evaluate. The proposed facility is specifically intended to enhance collaborative research related to water in the environment, including on-campus, in-state and out-of-state collaborations. The network will simplify transfer of graphical data among WRRI members and between KSU and off-campus workers. The file/compute server will provide on-campus access to large environmental and climate-modeling databases and will facilitate the numerically intensive calculations required for modeling complex systems. Graphical workstations will enable 3D visualization of climatological, hydrological and chemical structures in real time. The facility will be administered by WRRI, an interdisciplinary organization created to foster interdepartmental, collaborative research on water resource problems. Current research in WRRI which would be supported by this facility includes projects on water quality, climate and global change, ecosystem health, and the application of molecular level tools to macroscopic environmental problems. All the PI's are engaged in water quality research, with specific interests in developing biological and chemical methodologies (Leff, Cabaniss), system level studies of chemical and biological perturbations of ecosystems (Heath, Leff, Smith), modeling of catchment-basin flow and pollutant transport (Carlson, Maurice), and mapping of water quality on a regional or national scale (Carlson, Lee). Drs. Maurice and Smith (Geology) are also examining the role of water in climate and global change. Drs. Carlson, Heath, Leff (Biological Sciences) and Lee (Geography) are examining ecosystem health on microscopic and macroscopic levels. Drs. Cabaniss (Chemistry), Heath (Biological Sciences) and Maurice are exploring the application of molecular-level tools- molecular spectroscopy, biochemical assays, atomic force microscopy- to environmental problems.