Earth Sciences New Zealand has implemented the HPE Cray XD2000 supercomputer, named Cascade, to significantly improve its environmental forecasting capabilities.

This advanced system, designed for AI and simulation workloads, aims to enhance the accuracy of meteorological predictions and strengthen New Zealand’s defences against climate-related threats such as wildfires and flooding.

Cascade replaces the organisation’s previous high-performance computing setup, delivering a threefold increase in computational capacity.

This enhancement allows researchers to run multiple AI-driven simulations simultaneously, improving the precision of weather forecasts.

HPE South Pacific managing director and vice president Chris Weber said: “By delivering advanced HPC and AI capabilities, we’re empowering New Zealand’s leading climate and environmental researchers with the tools they need to drive scientific discovery and tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

“Importantly, we’re able to maximise energy efficiency through direct liquid cooling and leverage renewable energy. This collaboration showcases the true potential of technology to make a meaningful impact, both locally and globally.”

Powered by AMD 4th Gen EPYC processors and integrated with HPE GreenLake for File Storage, Cascade can manage an impressive 19 petabytes of data, expediting local research and improving decision-making in crisis scenarios.

The supercomputer employs direct liquid cooling technology to optimize energy and water usage while effectively cooling the computational cluster.

Housed in the CDC data centre, Cascade operates entirely on renewable energy, marking the largest implementation of HPE GreenLake for File Storage in the Asia Pacific region, encompassing both high-performance and traditional enterprise computing.

In collaboration with HPE, Earth Sciences New Zealand aims to achieve significant advancements in data processing and forecasting.

Cascade is engineered for extended operational capacity, enhancing scalability and uptime. It will also utilise real-time data for nowcasting, a weather forecasting technique that employs AI to predict short-term, localised weather conditions.

This capability is crucial for integrating solar and wind energy into high-frequency markets and improving emergency responses to fires and extreme weather.

Earth Sciences New Zealand advanced technology chief scientist Dr Jess Robertson said: “This upgrade with HPE Cray XD2000 marks a huge leap forward in our ability to understand and predict the environment around us.

“Enhancing scientific research with the advanced technology solutions gives us the tools to make smarter and safer decisions with confidence for New Zealand in a changing climate.”

Based in Auckland, Earth Sciences New Zealand is recognized for its research in climate, freshwater, geological resources, energy futures, and marine science, making significant contributions to environmental science services.