
NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | May 3, 2010 |
Latest Amendment Date: | February 17, 2012 |
Award Number: | 0958616 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Linda A. George
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
Start Date: | May 1, 2010 |
End Date: | April 30, 2013 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $104,604.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $104,604.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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ARRA Amount: | $104,604.00 |
History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
755 HIGHWAY 544 CONWAY SC US 29526-8428 (843)349-5030 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
755 HIGHWAY 544 CONWAY SC US 29526-8428 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Major Research Instrumentation |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
In acquiring a supercomputing instrument (a 416-core computer cluster; Image 1), this project aims to: [1] advance two research projects in atmospheric science and coastal oceanographic processes, [2] enhance educational training of Coastal Carolina University (CCU) students through research involvement, and [3] improve computing facilities for faculty members and students across multiple disciplines at CCU.
With respect to [1], the acquired instrument was used to numerically simulate the relatively small-scale atmospheric disturbances (called “gravity waves”) and the polar atmosphere when the wintertime circumpolar jet in the stratosphere (the “polar vortex”) became highly distorted. Past studies have indicated that the eventual breakdown of the vortex can potentially alter the jet stream position, thereby affecting the near-surface climate. Our findings illuminated the characteristics of gravity waves and their impact on the polar circulation and suggested the roles of planetary-scale waves above the stratosphere in the polar vortex’s recovery from its perturbed state. This knowledge may improve how gravity waves are represented in future climate models (used to assess changes in our climate system) and our understanding of the chemistry impacting ozone variability within the vortex (Image 2).
The acquired instrument was also used to numerically simulate geological, physical, and biological impacts on the timing and location of low-oxygen water column (referred to as “hypoxic area”) that affects our coastal natural resources, fisheries, and tourisms (Image 3). Model estimates of Mississippi and Atchafalaya sediment dispersal helped develop a comprehensive understanding of the spatial and temporal variations of sediment transport processes on the Texas-Louisiana shelf during both hurricane and calm ocean conditions. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, the spatial coverage of most past sediment observations (e.g., grabs, cores, tetrapods, and sediment traps) was limited to the vicinities of either the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi Delta or south of the Atchafalaya Bay. The timescales covered by tetrapod observations and short-lived radionuclides were weeks to months, while longer-term radionuclides and modern seismic stratigraphy average 100 year or longer timescales. Our modeling effort filled the spatial and temporal gap in the previous observational studies, covering a large portion of the Texas-Louisiana shelf and focusing on daily to yearly time scales.
With respect to [2], eleven students (at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels) were directly involved in research activities facilitated by the acquired instrument. Through running simulations (based on geophysical numerical models) and analyzing associated results as well as observations, the project exposed students to cutting-edge numerical tools and allowed them to develop analytical skills needed for graduate degrees and other future pursuits. These students made 21 off-campus presentations (Image 4) and produced four publications, as lead or sole authors. One undergraduate found employment with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after graduation. Two students were successful at winning research funding from the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Nearly 36% of the participating student researchers were women, two of which will pursue a doctoral degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences and Marine Science at highly reputable institutions.
With respect to [3], the acquired instrument laid a much-needed foundation for the CCU cyberinfrastructure (CI) to serve as a campus wide computing platform. In providing shared access for commercial software needed for data analyses, the cluster and CI served...
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