Position
Open
Software
Engineer --
Grand
Challenge Computational Science
MAJOR NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITY
Overview
ACESS (pronounced "access") is one of 15 new national research facilities being established under the Australian Government's Major National Research Facilities program. The facility - a national earth sciences initiative - is being jointly funded by the Federal Government, MNRF core partners and the Victorian and Western Australian governments with additional support from MNRF affiliates. Australian Science Minister, Nick Minchin, announced funding of ACESS on 21 August and 2001. ACESS is one of the two facilities funded in the physical sciences within Australia, the other being an astronomy facility. It will cost around $27m over five years to construct, which will be funded through cash and in-kind contributions from the MNRF partners and funding from the Australian Federal Government MNRF program.
Description of the facility
The Simulator will consist of integrated software systems for multi-scale, multi-physics simulations of earth systems combined with thematic parallel supercomputer hardware required to simulate the dynamics of the entire earth. The complexity of the earth and its physical processes, and the range of scales involved, has inhibited development of predictive theories for earth systems behaviour. The facility will make possible - for the first time - such predictive capacities of national and international significance to address Australian's national needs, thereby
providing a driver for scientific advancement and breakthroughs in earth systems science and technology. Examples include quantum leaps in understanding of earth evolution at global, crustal, regional and microscopic scales; new knowledge of the physics of crustal fault systems required to underpin the grand challenge of earthquake prediction; new understanding and predictive capabilities of geological processes such as tectonics and mineralisation. The Simulator software will integrate numerical simulation models being developed at the Queensland University Advanced Centre for Earthquake Studies (QUAKES), the CSIRO Solid Mechanics Group and CSIRO/University of Western Australia (Centre for Industrial Solid Mechanics), participants of the international computational earth systems science initiative (ACES), and geological and tectonic models developed at the Australian Crustal Research Centre at Monash and Melbourne University. The facility will be constructed by a multi-disciplinary team of computational scientists and mathematicians, earth scientists, civil engineers and software engineers.
Core partners
- The University of Queensland (MNRF HQ)
- Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing ( VPAC)
- The University of Western Australia
- The University of Melbourne
Affiliates
Silicon Graphics (SGI),Queensland Department of Main Roads, Queensland Parallel Supercomputer Foundation (QPSF), Bryan Mining Research Centre, UQ Department of Mathematics, Advanced Centre for University of Queensland Isotope Research Excellence (ACQUIRE), Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (IVEC), Fractal Graphics, CSIRO Division of Exploration and Mining, CSIRO Division of Land and Water.
Principal Objectives
-
Provide a computational virtual earth facility serving Australia's
national needs,
-
Empower the Australian earth science and industrial communities
with a computational virtual laboratory facility with a never before seen
capacity that will fuel earth systems S&T innovations, economic development,
hazard management and environmental management through the 21-st century,
-
to provide a national focal point for scientific and industrial
earth systems simulations to form, together with climatic and oceanic research,
a holistic earth simulation capability, and
-
to act as an international focal point within Australia in earth systems
simulations, linking Australia with major overseas research programs
and generating momentum in this emergent field within Australia.
Research Outcomes
The new predictive capability and research provided by ACESS will fuel scientific
breakthroughs, new predictive minerals exploration capabilities, and industrial
innovations through the next century such as:
- Planetary scale minerals exploration through prediction of earth system
evolution:
- global scale minerals exploration through prediction of long time scale
geological evolution,
- new ability to predict global scale plume related mineralisation,
- predictive capacity for regional scale crustal deformation and mineralisation,
- vastly improved scientific underpinning for natural & human-induced geohazard
mitigation and prevention, potentially including breakthrough advances in
the grand challenge problem of earthquake prediction,
- virtual prototyping innovations of massive or national scale natural and
engineered systems.
- a community empowered by vastly improved understanding of natural phenomena,
industrial processes, and the interplay between the natural and engineered
environment,
- potential for high-tech spin-offs involving novel mining and materials engineering
technologies,
- potential for massive economic returns through a vastly more competitive
mining and exploration sector, and growth of new markets in mining and simulation
software.
- showcasing of Australian science in the international arena as a world leader.
Research program
The facility will enable research not previously possible in Australia including:
- Regional scale tectonics and mineralisation: Simulation research of large
scale tectonic processes, episodic deformation and mountain building, will
lead to new levels of understanding of regional scale geological evolution
and mineralisation (PMD*CRC, ACRC, CSIRO, UWA, industry).
- Simulations of strongly coupled phenomena: Natural processes are coupled
throughout, involving interactions between chemical, hydraulic, thermal and
mechanical processes. ACESS will allow substantial, quantitative simulations
of such strongly coupled phenomena to be performed, with immediate implications
for mineralising systems and land-water hazards management (CSIRO, PMD*CRC).
- Global dynamics/global scale mineralisation: Simulation research on the
dynamics of thermal plumes in the lower mantle and the interaction between
plumes and the mantle transition zone, as well as the asthenospheric and lithospheric
mantle will shed light on the earth's evolution and enable improved prediction
of global scale plume-related mineralisation (UQ/ACQUIRE, PMD*CRC, CSIRO,
UWA, industry).
- Stochastic modelling and assessment of mineral deposits: Simulations of
complex local mineralisation processes can integrate physical constraints
with stochastic modelling in an technically innovative way that can provide
a new means to modelling and sustainable mining of ore resources (BRC, mining
industry).
- Earthquake prediction and geohazard risk management: Simulation of the dynamics
of rocks & crustal fault systems provides a means to achieve breakthroughs
in earthquake science and will fuel research on earthquake prediction and
new risk management technologies (QUAKES, AGSO, Curtin Univ., industry).
- Virtual prototyping: Virtual design research of engineered systems/structures
interacting with the earth system provides a cost effective means to yield
innovations in mining, engineering and geotechnical domains (CSIRO, RMIT,
industry).
- Geo and artificial materials: Research to simulate novel earth material
behaviours (e.g. phase changes) may lead to understanding of geo or artificial
materials (QUAKES, CMM, Dept. Mining, Minerals & Materials Eng. - ARC
project for artificially toughened engineering ceramics of vast economic potential).
- Engineering/construction: The simulation models and research for brittle
fracture of rock, ceramics, concrete or other engineering materials provide
a basis for innovative spin-off high-tech applications in the engineering/construction
industry (UQ, UWA).
- Geophysical exploration: Simulation research of seismic waves and magnetic/electric
responses of complex earth structures provides a means for enhanced hydrocarbon
and minerals exploration and production (QUAKES, Curtin Univ., industry).
- Mining safety: The models can be applied to simulate and predict roof collapse
in underground mines thereby enhancing safety and efficiency of mining operations
(UWA).
High resolution ACESS Logo (450 Ko), High resolution ACESS Logo image (430Ko)
Information about the images on the ACESS logo.
