Grantee Research Project Results
1999 Progress Report: Parallel Geographic Information Systems for Solving Complex Environmental Problems
EPA Grant Number: R825204Title: Parallel Geographic Information Systems for Solving Complex Environmental Problems
Investigators: Karimi, Hassan A.
Institution: MCNC / North Carolina Supercomputing Center
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 28, 1996 through October 27, 1999
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 28, 1998 through October 27, 1999
Project Amount: $598,049
RFA: High Performance Computing (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Environmental Statistics , Human Health
Objective:
The research project had the following objectives: (1) Investigate and prototype a parallel Geographic Information System (GIS) for parallel architectures, such as Massively Parallel Processors (MPPs), that can be used for solving complex environmental problems. (2) Investigate and prototype desktop access to the parallel GIS and other High-Performance Computing Communication (HPCC) resources. Desktop computing is becoming easier to use and less expensive; certain problems are better solved on desktops while others may have to take advantage of high-performance computers and resources. (3) Demonstrate the utility of high-performance computing by comparing the solutions of key GIS functions using parallel computers and resources. (4) Investigate an intelligent method of analyzing queries?the Intelligent Spatial Query Analysis (ISQA). Currently, the burden of identifying the data and computation resources needed by a query is on the users. Through the ISQA, most tasks related to the analysis of data and computational needs will be performed automatically. (5) Demonstrate a flexible problem solving environment for environmental applications. Desktop machines with graphical user interfaces will make the interaction between users and computing resources easy and parallel GIS functionality will help solve more complex problems. (7) Demonstrate the tightly coupling of environmental models with GISs. Tight coupling allows modelers to take full advantage of GIS functionality without modifying their models and to integrate easily models of different domains (crossmedia modeling).Progress Summary:
Advanced techniques and tools and a parallel GIS were developed to provide spatial analysis capabilities for modeling purposes. Selected GIS algorithms were implemented both on serial computers (PCs and UNIX workstations) and on parallel supercomputers (by developing the parallel version of the GIS algorithms). Modelers can access these algorithms (serial and parallel) from PCs via a simple user interface that utilizes high-performance communication resources, allowing them to choose the appropriate computing power for the problem at hand. A prototype of the developed techniques, tools, and the parallel GIS was developed. To demonstrate the new capabilities in the prototype, a PC-based GIS was coupled with the Space Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) processing system. Tools to access SMOKE functions from within the GIS were developed. The Input/Output Applications Programming Interface (I/O API) library of SMOKE, which was developed for the Environmental Decision Support System (EDSS) and Models-3, was ported to the Microsoft Windows NT operating system as a dynamically linked library (DLL). The GIS can use the I/O API functions for direct access to processed emission files stored in netCDF format. The developed techniques, parallel GIS, and SMOKE-GIS prototype are currently being tested.Future Activities:
For the final year of the project, it is planned to complete testing the developed GIS techniques, the parallel GIS, and the SMOKE-GIS prototype. The results will be published in scientific journals and conference proceedings.Journal Articles on this Report : 4 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 6 publications | 4 publications in selected types | All 4 journal articles |
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Brandmeyer JE, Karimi HA. Coupling methodologies for environmental models. Environmental Modelling & Software 2000;15(5):479-488. |
R825204 (1999) |
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Karimi HA, Hwang D. A parallel algorithm for routing: best solutions at low computational costs. Geomatica 1997;51(1):45-51. |
R825204 (1999) |
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Karimi HA, Thorpe S, Hanna AF. Performance analysis of Kriging for atmospheric data. Journal of Geographic Information and Decision Analysis 1999;3(2). |
R825204 (1999) |
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Thorpe SR, Karimi HA. On tightly coupling models with visualizations: the package for analysis and visualization of environmental data. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems 1997;24(4):195-202. |
R825204 (1999) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
air, mobile sources, integrated assessment, engineering, innovative technology, modeling, analytical, transportation., RFA, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, computing technology, Ecology and Ecosystems, improved space-time capabilities, ecosystem simulation, data management, environmental decision making, data sharing, geographical information systems, tightly coupling environmental models, HPCC, information technology, parallel computing, desktop computers, GIS, computer scienceProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.