NIWA, the prominent science agency in New Zealand, has recently revealed its latest advancement in climate and weather modelling – a cutting-edge supercomputer with triple the computing power of all its existing supercomputers combined.
The unveiling ceremony conducted by Science Minister Judith Collins showcased this state-of-the-art supercomputer installed in a secure data facility north of Auckland. The event provided a glimpse of the impressive capabilities that this new system will offer to scientific researchers in New Zealand.
This advanced supercomputer, although not yet operational, is anticipated to significantly accelerate the process of running complex climate and weather models. NIWA’s chief executive, John Morgan, emphasized the tremendous leap in computing power, stating that it will outperform the current capabilities by up to three times, processing an astounding three thousand trillion calculations per second.
The upgraded supercomputer will revolutionize the existing weather forecasting and climate modeling operations at NIWA, enabling faster and more detailed analyses. For instance, the time taken to run a weather and climate model for New Zealand, which currently stands at six hours, will be reduced to mere three hours with the new supercomputer in action.
While the focus remains on the advancements in technology, recent job cuts within NIWA, including the redundancy of the global climate modelling team, have raised concerns. However, the agency remains confident in its workforce’s capabilities to utilize the supercomputer effectively for various research purposes beyond weather and climate modeling.
NIWA’s restructuring, influenced by a decline in revenue following the conclusion of the National Science Challenges funding, has prompted a shift towards investing in AI data specialists to drive innovation in the scientific sector. As the sector navigates through these changes, former chief science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman is preparing recommendations for the Government on the future structure of the science sector.
The science community in New Zealand braces for a new era of technological advancement with the introduction of NIWA’s groundbreaking supercomputer, promising enhanced research capabilities and data-driven insights into climate, weather, earthquake risks, and freshwater systems.
