University of Texas at Austin Opens New Facility For Geophysics and Supercomputing

Event: Thursday, January 11, 2007

• 1-2 p.m.: Formal dedication ceremony
• 2-5 p.m.: Scientific Colloquium, tours and demos
• 5-7 p.m.: Reception

Where: 10100 Burnet Road, Building 196. The new building, the Research Office Complex, adjoins the Jackson School of Geosciences' Bureau of Economic Geology on The University of Texas at Austin J.J. Pickle Research Campus. See map and directions.

Who is Invited: All members of the Jackson School community and friends of the school interested in attending, including Jackson School alumni in the Austin area, and UTIG alumni.

Background: Two of the country's leading research organizations in the fields of supercomputing and geophysics gain a new 94,000-square-foot home this week on The University of Texas at Austin J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) and the Jackson School of Geosciences' Institute for Geophysics already work closely together on computation problems related to Earth's environment. Scientists at the institute study processes shaping the Earth, including sea-level fluctuations, climate change and geologic hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Much of their work relies on high-end computation. TACC is one of the leading advanced computing centers in the United States. Already home to Lonestar, one of the country's largest academic supercomputers, TACC will soon manage Ranger, a new National Science Foundation-funded system that will be one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, with peak performance of more than 420 teraflops.

As demand for supercomputing has increased, TACC has grown from a staff of 14 to 60. The new building offers room for further expansion. TACC occupies the building's lower floor, which is being modified to accommodate Ranger.

The Institute for Geophysics occupies the top two floors. In addition to gaining access to TACC's computing systems, researchers at the institute are now connected by walkways to the Jackson School's other major research unit, the Bureau of Economic Geology. Scientists at the bureau and institute share research interests related to the environment, geophysics, tectonics and the exploration for natural resources. The new building will facilitate closer collaboration. The building also marks the first time the entire staff of the institute will be on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Since moving to Austin from its dockside facilities at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1982, the institute has been housed in rental space.

PBS&J designed the building. Flintco began construction in November 2005 and completed the project ahead of schedule and on budget. The building meets standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System.

About UTIG
The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) is known internationally as a leading academic research group in geology and geophysics. Founded in 1972, it is a part of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. UTIG scientists investigate the dynamic geophysical processes that influence Earth's structure, environment and climate. They also develop new mathematical models, data processing and imaging techniques that are relevant to natural resource exploration, the assessment of geologic hazards and modeling global climate change.

About TACC
The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin is a leading research center for advanced computational science, engineering and technology. TACC’s mission is to enable scientific discovery and enhance society through the application of advanced computing technologies. As a leading advanced computing center, TACC fulfills its mission by conducting a comprehensive, integrated set of activities ranging from operations to research. TACC’s activities span a wide variety of advanced computational technologies, from cutting-edge hardware to mainstream technologies augmented by advanced networks and software. TACC has world-class infrastructure and tremendous staff expertise in these areas, enabling it to be a leading center for the application of advanced computing technologies to important and challenging problems.

For more information about the Jackson School, contact J.B. Bird at jbird@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-9623.