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NCAR supercomputer ready for research projects

Willow Belden
/
Wyoming Public Radio

The computing center that houses one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers opened today in Cheyenne. The new supercomputer, called Yellowstone, will replace an older computing facility that the National Center for Atmospheric Research has been using in Colorado.
 
Tom Bogdan is president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which manages the new computing center. He says scientists will use the supercomputer to study weather, climate and drought, among other things.
 
“Through the power of Yellowstone, we can help water managers and users plan for increasing drought across our changing planet,” Bogdan said. “We can help land managers address the risk of wildfire. We can help bridge the gap between weather forecasts and seasonal climate outlooks. And we can better determine where fuel is present underground and where weather conditions are best for producing renewable energy.”
 
Elected officials and economic development groups say the presence of a supercomputer in Cheyenne will also help attract more technology-related businesses to Wyoming.
“We’re going to have great advances in science, and we can honestly say this facility will help all of mankind,” Gov. Matt Mead said at today’s opening ceremony.
 
Yellowstone has nearly 30 times the computing capability of NCAR’s old facility in Boulder, Colorado.
 
The University of Wyoming helped fund Yellowstone and will have access to 20 percent of the machine. 

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