Marine models using HPC compared

Barcelona, 17-01-1997 At a MAST-II meeting in Barcelona last month, the results of a comparison between marine models using HPC technology were discussed. The goal of the conference was to exchange experiences, thus improving European originating models in this field.

The MAST-II meeting which was hosted by the Escola Tecnica Superior d'Enginyers de Camins, Canals i Ports de Barcelona (ETSECCPB) took place at the Polytecnical University of Catalonia from December 15-17, providing a forum for the discussion of activities within the MMARIE (HPC and marine Sciences), MEDMEX (3D equation models applied to the general circulation in the Mediterranean Sea) and NOMADS (North Sea Model Advection Dispersion Study) networks. The outcome should lead to some conclusions that would be, at their turn, beneficial for the EC Comission and the marine modelling community.

The forum coordinator, Jean Berlamont, from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), pointed out how tough it is to classify diverse models: "It is very difficult to say that one model is better than another one because the starting premises are different in each case. Now, we are presently discussing how to compare models".

Nevertheless, at the end of the meeting, participants and members of the Laboratori d'Enginyeria Maritima (LIM), which uses the Centre for Parallelism of Barcelona's facilities, had come to the conclusion that the first thing that has to be done before the parallelisation of the numerical models is to improve the algorithms of these ones. To do this, engineers, mathematicians and physicians have to work together. The scientific coordinator of MAST programme, Martin Bohle-Carbonell, said that we had come a long way in the MMARIE programme in that sense. When the programme started two years ago, those who worked on the software and those who tried to make faster applications were two distinguished communities. "Now, they are coming together to do models six or eight times quicker", noted Bohle-Carbonell.

Putting into perspective the work a researcher is doing with a colleague from another country is very productive Bohle-Carbonell considered is very productive, that the joint meeting of MAST-II Concerted Actions was extremely useful and worthy as "it gave considerable benefits to the EC for relatively little investment. At the end of the meeting, the scientific coordinator of MAST-II Concerted Actions outlined the challenge the EC has taken for the 5th Framework Programme and that consists on "Bringing Science closer to the daily life".

Anna Solana