Updating of Geophysics Computer Facility, University of Colorado/CIRES

Modern geological and geophysical science depends on acquiring, storing, and analyzing data on computers. Data sets are often many terabytes in size, and computational algorithms can be so complex that they might run continuously for weeks on end. Computers that were last purchased by the geophysics group at the University of Colorado, Boulder dated from before 2011; while these permitted allowing work that was published in over 100 papers, these machines are no longer capable of being updated to currently released operating systems and are far slower than newly available computer systemsmachines.

This project award will permit the purchase of a new suite of computers and storage devices that will renew the ability of the scientists in this group to acquire and analyze new and existing datasets in a far more expedient manner. The research conducted by this group includes (but is not limited to) understanding the structure and evolution of continental lithosphere, the location and characterization of earthquakes, seismic hazards associated with oil and gas development, the physics of slow slip at large subduction zones, and exploratory development of tsunami warning algorithms.

The new equipment also improves our ability to visualize data and results in more intuitive ways while supporting work from graduate and undergraduate students as well as summer interns affiliated with RESESS (Research Experiences for Community College Students) an REU site funded by NSF under a separate award..

This group of researchers represents a coherent unit within the Department of Geological Sciences and CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder with mutual research interests in seismology, tectonics, geodynamics, and an emphasis on field experiments. The most common needs addressed here include large (10s of terabytes) amounts of storage with highspeed access to a processing core, fast multicore machines for specialized software, a large storage volume that is readily accessible from multiple computers, computers where sophisticated visualizations can be created, and smaller local platforms to accommodate the more routine accessing of processed results, creation of routine graphics and associated writing.

The four PIs are actively working on research projects funded by NSF and other funding agencies. Research conducted within this group occurs within the broad themes of seismicity and hazards, continental deformation and structure, and geodynamics. Much of the seismological work requires the collection and analysis of large subsets of data acquired by portable field experiments as well as the Transportable Array component of EarthScope and permanent seismic stations.

Other projects require the analysis of continuous datastreams from seismic networks to identify, locate and characterize seismicity in different environments. Other work requires the accumulation and analysis of crystallographic fabrics for comparison with seismological constraints on structures within the deep crust.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.