Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

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1 About
2 Facilities
3 People
4 Alumni
5 External links

[edit] About

The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) is a laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).

GFDL is engaged in comprehensive long lead-time research to expand the scientific understanding of the physical processes that govern the behaviour of the atmosphere and the oceans as complex fluid systems. These systems can then be modeled mathematically and their phenomenology can be studied by computer simulation methods.

GFDL's accomplishments include the development of the first climate models to study global warming, the first comprehensive ocean prediction codes, and the first dynamical models with significant skill in hurricane track and intensity predictions. Much current research within the laboratory is focussed around the development of Earth System Models for assessment of natural and human-induced climate change.

[edit] Facilities

The GFDL is located at Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Princeton, NJ.

The GFDL operates various-sized SGI Altix 3700 and 4700 supercomputers with a total processor count of over 5,000. Hardware updates occur on average, every 18 months.

The GFDL has been utilizing High Performance Computing Systems for 50 years. A brief portion of that history can be found on the top 500 supercomputing list.