Content about earth and climate science

As the second anniversary of the largest earthquake in Japanese history approaches, Ben Katsumi explains how cloud computing helped the relief effort following the natural disaster.

Plus: Discover how reseachers at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency are using HPC to develop improved chemicals for cleaning up radioactive cesium isotopes.

Climate change is having a catastrophic impact on the environment in central Asia, where the Tien Shan glacier lost nearly 2 km³ of ice per year between 1955 and 2000. However, a greater capacity to share meteorological data at a local and international level could help mitigate future natural hazards. Discover how the CAREN and GÉANT networks are helping scientists in the region to achieve this.

With the year almost over we look back at the debates, controversies, and achievements in the world of science and computing. Read our countdown of iSGTW’s most popular stories of 2012. 

When natural disasters and human conflicts strike, who are you going to call? Geographic information systems analysts, that's who. They provide a rapid frontline service to turn satellite imagery into information that helps internally displaced people.

At the end of last month's EGI Technical Forum 2012, we caught up with EGI director Steven Newhouse to get his take on the week's highlights, as well as the challenges for the year ahead.

With satellite data showing that the area of Arctic sea ice lost per day is now roughly equal to the size of the Czech Republic, iSGTW casts its spotlight on the computing infrastructure behind the observations.

Climate change, overfishing, natural and manmade disasters, and loss of habitat all threaten the biodiversity of our oceans. There is an urgent need for more effective management to ensure sustainable fisheries for future generations and to maintain biodiversity in the oceans by protecting the entire ecosystem. iMarine (www.i-marine.eu) is gaining traction as a very important initiative driving smarter, more efficient and cost-effective approaches for a sustainable future while maintaining responsibility towards nature.

Researchers review computer simulations in combination with two decades of observations to get a fix on cloud formation.

By running a sophisticated weather model on supercomputers, environmental engineers have defined optimal placement of a grid of four wind farms off the US East Coast. The model successfully balances production at times of peak demand and significantly reduces costly spikes and zero-power events.