Grid Computing for Air Quality and Environmental: Studies in Bulgaria

Abstract

Comprehensive atmospheric composition studies require multi-scale numerical experiments to be carried out, which to clarify to some extend different scale processes interaction, but also to further specify requirements for input data (emissions, boundary conditions, large scale forcing). Model interfaces from synoptic trough mesoto local scale have to be tailored. Shortly speaking, extensive sensitivity studies have to be carried out, tailoring the model set-up and parameters – a possible forerunner of single model ensemble forecasts. Performing extensive simulations of this kind with up to date highly sophisticated numerical models obviously requires computer resources of the order of magnitude of those provided by the so-called supercomputers. Using supercomputers, however, is rather expensive and far beyond what most of the research groups can afford. Luckily an alternative technology – the grid computing, is recently very intensively developing, which makes it already quite relevant to formulating and solving problems absolutely unthinkable several years ago. Some examples of environmental problems which are recently developed / tested / treated as grid applications are given in the present paper.