Supercomputer to help in ocean modeling

WASHINGTON - IBM says the federal government has purchased a supercomputer to provide improved data for the nation’s military and commercial ocean-going vessels. The Department of Defense will use the Power 575 Hydro-Cluster supercomputer to provide detailed models of ocean waves, currents and temperature to predict ocean behavior. While the primary user will be the Navy, models will be publicly accessible through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The models will also be used by the Coast Guard to improve search and rescue. IBM said the supercomputer at Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center will also be used as a platform for R&D in ocean science. (Source: UPI, 07/10/08)