Principal Investigator:
Dr. Bormin Huang, Research Scientist and Principal Investigator, Space Science and Engineering Center
Description:
The Intel® Parallel Computing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is working on boosting the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model by adopting the Intel® Many Integrated Core Architecture (MIC) accelerator technology. The WRF is a next-generation numerical weather prediction system that serves atmospheric research and operational forecasting needs in more than 150 countries. It consists of dynamic and physics modules, with the physics modules processing information about cloud microphysics, cumulus, land-surface parameterization, radiation, turbulence, among others. The entire model has more than 600,000 lines of code making it time-consuming to run. The latest Intel® MIC accelerator technology shows promise for the needs of weather prediction.
The principal investigator Dr. Bormin Huang and the co-investigator Dr. Jarno Mielikainen are with the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. SSEC was founded in 1965 by Professor Verner E. Suomi, internationally recognized as the "father of weather satellite systems". SSEC is a multidisciplinary research and development center with primary focus on research and technology to enhance understanding of the atmosphere of Earth and the other planets in our solar system. SSEC consists of about 160 scientists, engineers, technicians, computer and software specialists, and general support staff. Approximately 40 graduate and undergraduate students also work on SSEC projects. SSEC continues to contribute to next-generation geostationary and polar orbiting weather satellites through software development, simulation analysis and instrument conceptualization.
There are many areas of study across the University that could benefit from the faster computational speeds that parallel computing can deliver. We are optimistic about the possibilities for new cross-disciplinary collaborations in the future.