INITIATOR - WIdeNIng The ImpAcT Of High Performance Computing for natural HazaRds

The INITIATOR project has had the ambition to widen the application of High Performance Computing (HPC) for geohazards in Norway. It is based on NGI's involvement in the H2020 ChEESE Center of Excellence for HPC related to solid earth sciences and geohazards. An important component has been the effective use of GPUs (“Graphical Processing Units”), which has been fundamental in exploiting the newly deployed European supercomputers. In INITIATOR we have utilized tsunami simulation results produced by NGI for generating visualization and dissemination material. This material includes popular dissemination and visits to Norwegian High Schools with lectures where we show the students how physics, mathematics, and HPC can be used in both research and practical applications. These, together with animations and popular science articles, are available through the NGI web page. The project has also facilitated joint publication work with the Norwegian HPC competence centers, undertaken to broaden the impact of the ChEESE project within the research sector in Norway. A project workshop was undertaken in 2022 involving different Norwegian research institutes, universities and governmental organisations, to discuss how the HPC experience from ChEESE can be scaled up to include modelling of other natural hazards in Norway, solving new problems and widening research capabilities. Networking activities in INITIATOR have contributed to making Norway more competitive in applying for supercomputing resources, by sharing the experience from the ChEESE project with Norwegian supercomputing competence centers.

INITIATOR er et prosjekt finansiert av forskningsrådet med formål å formidle erfaringer NGI har fra problemstillinger innen naturfare som kun kan løses ved hjelp av supercomputere. Disse erfaringene er i stor grad knyttet til NGIs deltagelse i et Europeisk Senter for Fremragende Forskning, ChEESE (Center of Excellence of Exascale in Solid Earth) der de kraftigste supercomputerne i Europa er benyttet til å løse slike problemstillinger. Beregningene kan for eksempel være raske nok til å kunne brukes i tidlig varsling av naturkatastrofer, til å kvantifisere usikkerhet eller til farekartlegging. INITIATOR har bidratt til å overføre denne kompetansen både til norske geofaglige forskningsmiljøer, til tungregningsmiljøer, og å gi tilgang til denne forskningen til publikum via ulike kanaler. Overføringen av kompetanse har blitt gjennomført ved hjelp av workshops, populærvitenskapelig publisering og produksjon av formidlingsmateriale. NGI har videre deltatt i undervisning på videregående skoler, og bidratt til kursmateriale ved undervisning på norske universiteter. På den måten har elever og studenter som jobber med fysikk, matematikk, og geofag fått konkrete eksempler på praktisk bruk av modeller. INITIATOR har således gjort norske miljøer mer konkurransedyktige og forberedt på hvordan vi mer effektivt kan utnytte GPU (Graphical Processing Units) baserte supercomputere i fremtiden, som for eksempel den finske supercomputeren LUMI. Dette kan igjen knytte flere norske regnemiljøer tettere opp mot mulig internasjonalt forskningssamarbeid. En forventet fremtidig effekt er derfor samarbeidsprosjekter med bruk av LUMI for å løse problemstillinger for jordskjelv- og tsunamiproblematikk ved hjelp av GPUer.

The project will consist of three main activities, 1) provision of visual dissemination material such as tsunami animations 2) national networking activities, and 3) disseminating results to the general public and through eduction. These main activities are summarized below: 1) Production of high quality visualization of hazard maps and tsunami animations. This will utilize results already developed material in ChEESE based on earthquake tsunami hazards in Catania, Italy. Innovative ways of visualising these tsunami hazards will be explored, including animating in detail the tsunami generation, run-up, and inundation, as well as displaying how uncertainties and tsunami sources influence the hazard. Similar animations will be further be adapted to Norwegian settings for landslide induced tsunamis in fjords to convey how supercomputing may help improving hazard analysis for natural hazard applications in Norway yet to be addressed using HPC. 2) Carry out workshops towards stakeholders in Norway to strengthen opportunities to use HPC for better hazard analysis in the future, for hazards such as tsunamis, landslides, and snow avalanches. Target groups include local muncipalities and national stakeholders, as well as relevant geoscientific players in universities and state institutions. Carry out workshops with Norwegian supercomputing expertise, to aim for better participation and exploitation of forthcoming supercomputing infrastructure that will soon be available in Europe. 3) Embed ChEESE results and dissemination material into the relevant undergraduate and graduate level natural hazards courses universities in Norway. Similarly, use already existing collaboration by NGI with high schools in Oslo to popularize science and disseminate how research is used in practice. Use visualization material in public promotion material, and through social media, and write popular science articles.